UPDATED July 8 at 8:17 a.m.

Many Steelworkers Local 6500 members voiced their disappointment with a tentative deal reached between their union and Vale last weekend as they exited the T.M. Davies Arena in Lively July 7.

Some called out “Where's the burning barrel?” referring to the last time they voted on a contract — last March — when a fire barrel was set up outside the Caruso Club for union members to burn their contracts.

Hundreds of vehicles were parked at the arena's parking lot and in surrounding streets as Local 6500 members got their first chance to hear about the tentative deal. Those going to the meeting even caused a traffic jam stretching from Regional Road 55 all the way to the arena.

After the 3 p.m. meeting, strikers voted on the contract between 4 and 6:30 p.m. A second membership meeting will start at 7 p.m., and voting will take place between 8 and 10 p.m.

The third and final membership meeting will take place July 8 at 11 a.m., and voting will take place between 12 and 6 p.m.

Members of Steelworkers Local 6200, which represents Vale workers in Port Colborne, Ont., will also vote on the contract July 8. Local 6200 bargains along with Local 6500. Both unions have been on strike since July 13, 2009.

Northern Life acquired a copy of the contract highlights provided by the union at the 3 p.m. July 7 meeting.

If the contract is ratified, there will now be a defined contribution pension plan for new hires. However, the plan now includes a long-term disability plan that pays the same amount as the defined benefit plan long-term disability plan.

For those on the defined benefit pension plan, there will be an increase of $150 to $3,450 a month.

The nickel bonus will have a $3.75 trigger, reduced from $5 in a previous offer, and an introduction of a 25 per cent cap on all straight-time hours worked.

There will be a 90 cent wage increase over five years, a cost of living allowance with a roll-in of 28 cents on the date of ratification, and an annual roll-in until June 1, 2014.

The deal also includes a retirement incentive offer of $30,000 for those with 30 or more years, and $15,00 for 27 or more years.

The return to work bonus is $2,000 for all returning and retiring employees, $1,000 if production is at 70 per cent for 42 days within six months of ratification, $1,000 if production is at 95 per cent for 42 days within six months of ratification.

As well, employees will return to work within six weeks of contract ratification, and all lawsuits will be dropped.

Strike pay will continue to be paid until the strikers return to work. The document said there are "113 excess positions" within the company, but it is hoped that this will be reduced to zero through retirements.

There is also a clause stating that employees must have three years' continuous service to apply for a request to transfer, and employees can only transfer once every two years.

The contract highlights document also contains a message from the union's bargaining team.

“It is our elected duty to bargain the most we can and to be honest with each of you,” one section of the message reads.

“At this time, your bargaining committee feels that this is the very best we could achieve without further extension of the strike. After a year, we have made improvements and protected some key parts of our collective agreement.”

Most of the union members exiting the meeting refused to speak with members of the media, some stating that they feared their jobs would be in jeopardy if they did.

Mike O'Brien, who works at Coleman Mine, did agree to an interview with Northern Life.

“It's not what we wanted,” he said. “I think that after a year, our bargaining committee does not think that we're going to get a better contract.”

O'Brien said he would vote against the contract. When asked to make a prediction about whether the contract would be ratified or not, he said it was too close to call.

He said Local 6500 members are “taking hits on everything except benefits. It's real hard on families, including my family and all the membership. I don't think anyone could understand until they've gone through it themselves.”

Check back to NorthernLife.ca for more on this story as it becomes available.