Vale Inco will use its 1,200 non-unionized employees and some outsourced staff to resume partial production at the Sudbury operations, despite a strike by 3,100 members of United Steelworkers Local 6500.
Vale did not announce a time when production was to begin. The technical and managerial staff have been in training the last few weeks.
“Some very limited outside resources (people) will likely be required for essential work and to train employees to do that work,” said Steve Ball, manager of public affairs with Vale Inco Sudbury operations.
“This is about the business, plain and simple."
United Steelworkers District 6 director Wayne Fraser calls it a disappointing decision by an “arrogant” company and that the people of Sudbury ought to be outraged by Vale's behaviour.
“I think it's incredible that these guys can sit over in their offices in Brazil and try to undermine (the union and do) what's never happened in Sudbury in our history with this company,” he said.
“I think it's time for the City of Sudbury, and I'm sure our members will join in, to say to Vale, if you want to produce product out of Sudbury, then the right way to do that is get back to the bargaining table. Hands off our mills, hands off our smelters and our refineries.”
The intention is to work toward a level of production that is comfortable for the employees during the next weeks and months, said Ball, who did not disclose how many outside people the company intends on hiring to bring up production capacity.
“We will be training and upgrading people on what they need to do to be able to perform the work safely and efficiently.”
Asked if they are concerned about the union's reaction to this decision, Ball responded by saying the company never wanted a strike and would have preferred to perform work with all its workforce gainfully employed.
“Unfortunately, this is not the case."
Vale Inco “customers are rightly concerned about the work stoppage and we want to ensure them that we understand and we will do what we can to deliver and supply them,” said Ball.
But Fraser said resuming production is not about making money.
He said he heard rumours that Vale's partial production will consist of its copper operations and be about 10 per cent of the company's full production.
“If they're just going to try to produce 10 per cent for a product, the cost for that product will go up twentyfold, so this isn't about delivering the product economically to the public, this is about provocation. This is about the Brazilians using their arrogance here in Sudbury to our members or saying haha, look what we can do,” said Fraser.
Members of the United Steelworkers have asked Vale for a meeting to discuss the company's plans.
Check back for further updates as the story unfolds.
