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Local 6500 picketers will be 'respectful' as production resumes

The president of Steelworkers Local 6500 said his members will be “respectful” of those crossing the picket line when Vale Inco resumes partial production, something which could occur as soon as the end of this week.
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Despite having a deal at hand, mediated talks have broken off between Vale and the Steelworkers Local 6500.

 
The president of Steelworkers Local 6500 said his members will be “respectful” of those crossing the picket line when Vale Inco resumes partial production, something which could occur as soon as the end of this week.

“My guys have been respectful all through this strike, and I'm sure they'll continue to be,” said John Fera, whose 3,100 members have been on strike against Vale Inco since July 13.

The picketers will follow a court injunction, and won't hold up trucks entering and exiting company property for more than 15 minutes at a time, he said. The injunction was recently “clarified” by the courts after picketers started blocking contractors' trucks from moving across picket lines.

Vale Inco spokesperson Cory McPhee told Northern Life that Clarabelle Mill will likely be ready to operate at the end of this week. It is currently being commissioned, he said.

Some of the ore which will be sent to the mill will come from the junior mining company FNX Mining Ltd., which has an agreement to provide Vale Inco with ore.

Another portion will eventually come from Vale Inco's Garson Ramp and Coleman 153 Ore Body mines. McPhee said he doesn't know when the mines will be up and running, although he said “I'd suspect that we're getting close.”

Vale Inco has been training employees who aren't on strike to work in the mines and at the mill, said McPhee. Contractors will not be used to re-start production, he said.

“We've been very clear that we're planning to produce and resume partial production because it's the right thing to do for the business,” he said.

Fera said he's upset that Vale Inco is re-starting production while his members are on strike.

“The biggest thing they're (Vale Inco)is doing is disrespecting our members and this community,” he said.

“There's a whole list of stuff that I'm not very happy with about the company, and them saying they want to start up (production) doesn't surprise me. This is a company that really doesn't give much thought to what goes on here in Sudbury.”