Vale Inco has decided to give 220 widows of Vale Inco workers who died before 1972 a $2,000 Christmas bonus.
Company spokesperson Steve Ball said the Christmas bonus for the pre-1972 widows is typically discussed during negotiations with Steelworkers Local 6500, although it is not formally part of the collective agreement.
The company was offering to double the bonus from $1,000 to $2,000 this year, but the issue was left on the table when Local 6500 went on strike July 13, he said.
The pre-1972 widows don't receive any survivor's pension from Vale Inco beyond the yearly bonuses. They are the survivors of both staff and hourly employees.
Local 6500 president John Fera said “it's great that they finally decided to do the right thing.”
Fera said the union had brought the issue to the bargaining table. Based on the union's other interactions with Vale Inco, Fera said he thought the widows probably wouldn't receive the $2,000 bonus.
“We were hoping that they would continue to get $1,000,” he said.
Local 6500 and the Steelworkers Order of Active Retirees (SOAR) have been selling t-shirts, and part of the proceeds were to go to the widows.
Fera said the money will now go to the 1,500 pre-1988 retirees, because Vale Inco is “refusing to pay the $5 per month cost of living escalation for those pensioners.”
Ball said the company didn't have to double the widows' bonus, but decided to do because “it's the right thing to do.”
“We didn't change our mind. We didn't say we weren't going to (pay the $2,000 bonus),” he said.
“What happened was, when negotiations broke off and the strike started, that was one of the items left on the table, if you like. It's something that we've obviously been aware of over the last few months.”
Ball said he's “sure they (the widows) appreciate it.”
Fera said while he's happy the widows have had their Christmas bonus doubled, he doesn't think Vale Inco should be taking sole credit, especially since it was Local 6500 that pushed for them to receive more money.
“When they send out the cheque, there's supposed to be a letter included, wishing these people a merry Christmas. It's supposed to be signed by the president of the Sudbury division of Vale Inco and the president of Local 6500,” Fera said.
“I'm disappointed that the company didn't think it was important enough for us to share the letter. They (Vale Inco) have never called us to say 'By the way, John, we're putting this letter together.”
