A Vale spokesperson has told Northern Life that some crews will be heading back to work today, but the focus, for now, will not be on production.

Spokesperson Danica Pagnutti said Friday morning that the company has not yet determined when that will happen.

“There are no defined timelines on when we will be returning to production,” Pagnutti said. “Crews will be performing safety-related tasks, not production-related tasks.”

Vale stopped production at all of its Sudbury operations after a worker, Stephen Perry, died on Jan. 29 when rock fell from the face of a drift where he was loading explosives.

After several meetings this week, Vale and Steelworkers Local 6500 came to an agreement Feb. 1 to conduct a joint investigation into the death.

Vale and Local 6500 will start a collection at all of the company's mines and plants next week for Perry's 19-year-old daughter, Brittany Boyd-Perry, Steelworkers Local 6500 president Rick Bertrand said.

He said raising funds for the fallen miner's daughter is the “right thing to do.”

“It doesn't help bring her father back, but any little thing we can do, we're going to do it for her,” he said.

Members of the public who wish to donate to Perry's daughter are asked to phone Nick Larochelle at the union hall at 705-675-3381, ext. 250.

Posted by Mark Gentili