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Vale, Steelworkers enter into early contract talks

United Steelworkers Local 6500 president Rick Bertrand committed not to dwell on past disputes. In a meeting ahead of labour negotiations between Vale and the Steelworkers scheduled for the new year, Bertrand said he will be focusing on the future.

United Steelworkers Local 6500 president Rick Bertrand committed not to dwell on past disputes.

In a meeting ahead of labour negotiations between Vale and the Steelworkers scheduled for the new year, Bertrand said he will be focusing on the future.

That's the mindset he will take to the bargaining table, he said, instead of looking back on a year-long strike that started July 13, 2009, and ended July 8, 2010. The start of negotiations was announced at a joint press conference on Dec. 10.

The current five-year collective bargaining agreement between the union and Vale will expire at midnight on May 31, 2015.

Kelly Strong, Vale's vice-president of Ontario and U.K. Operations, said it was too early to comment on the negotiations themselves, but added recent news the company could open up its base metals division to an initial public offering, should not impact discussions at the bargaining table.

He said it is also too early to determine how the price of nickel could affect negotiations into the next year.

Strong said labour discussions will stay at the bargaining table, and not in the media.

“Our negotiations will not be a public process, because that will not serve us well,” he said.

This story will be updated.