Federal NDP leader Jack Layton will be attending a rally organized by Mine Mill Local 598/CAW at the McClelland Arena in Copper Cliff July 24.
The rally, which starts at 1 p.m., is being held to protest the lack of action the federal government took to ensure Xstrata Nickel and Vale Inco lived up to the takeover agreements the companies signed in 2006, said Richard Paquin, president of Mine Mill Local 598/CAW.
These takeover agreements included no-layoff clauses, but there have been layoffs from both companies this year, said the union president, who represents Xstrata Nickel workers.
The rally will also be in support of the Vale Inco workers belonging to Steelworkers Local 6500 who went on strike July 13.
Paquin is expecting up to 1,000 people, including Xstrata and Vale Inco workers, as well as those belonging to other unions, to attend the event.
At 2 p.m., the group, including Layton, will march to the Local 6500 picket line for another rally there.
Paquin said it's important for his union to support Local 6500 members. Mine Mill's contract with Xstrata expires in February 2010, he said. Whatever is offered to Local 6500 is often similar to what is offered to Mine Mill, he said.
“We're next,” he said. “February 2010 is when Xstrata Nickel's collective agreement ends. This might be the prelude to what might be proposed by that company at that time. Normally, in the past history, whatever 6500 got, it was basically a similar line in our collective agreement.”
Paquin said he'll be speaking at the event against some recent statements by federal Industry Minister Tony Clement.
According to media reports, Clement said last week that he would be taking U.S. Steel to court to make it live up to the no layoff promises it made when it took over Stelco Inc. in 2007.
In March, the company temporarily shut down most of its production at two former Stelco operations in southern Ontario.
“Why wasn't Sudbury given the same treatment? I'm sure hoping it's not because we live in northern Ontario,” said Paquin.
He said he's also unimpressed by recent statements by Clement in a local media outlet, saying that Inco would have been closed down if it hadn't been bought by Companhia Vale do Rio Doce.
“Mr. Clement should have done his homework before making that comment,” he said. “We do know that both companies (the former Inco and Falconbridge) were very viable on their own.”
Sudbury MP Glenn Thibeault and Nickel Belt MP Claude Gravelle sent out a press release July 20 saying that there is “shock and outrage” in the community over Clement's comments about Vale Inco.
“This minister has his head stuck in the sand and I’m asking for his resignation,” said Nickel Belt MP Claude Gravelle, the NDP’s mining critic. “Inco has always been a very viable operation and you would think Clement might do a little research before making such a ridiculous statement.”
