Workers Strike Vale’s Canadian Operations
07/14/2009 - Unionized maintenance and production employees go on strike at Vale SA’s operations in Sudbury and Port Colborne, Ont., Canada.
Unionized maintenance and production employees at Vale SA’s operations in Sudbury and Port Colborne, Ont., Canada, went on strike Monday after rejecting the company’s settlement offer for a new three-year collective bargaining agreement.
Vale said that it developed its proposal with the aim of providing the right incentives for growth in labor productivity and to enhance the company’s long-term competitiveness and its capacity to continue to generate value.
The strike affects 3073 employees at Vale’s integrated mining, milling, smelting and refining operations in Sudbury, and 116 employees at the company’s Port Colborne refinery.
Vale’s finished nickel production originated from its Sudbury operations reached 85,300 tonnes in 2008, representing 31% of the company’s total output. The company’s Port Colborne facility produces platinum group metals, gold and silver intermediate products.
Vale’s Sudbury and Port Colborne operations began an eight-week shutdown on June 1, 2009. Both facilities were scheduled to resume operations on July 27, 2009.
Vale said that it developed its proposal with the aim of providing the right incentives for growth in labor productivity and to enhance the company’s long-term competitiveness and its capacity to continue to generate value.
The strike affects 3073 employees at Vale’s integrated mining, milling, smelting and refining operations in Sudbury, and 116 employees at the company’s Port Colborne refinery.
Vale’s finished nickel production originated from its Sudbury operations reached 85,300 tonnes in 2008, representing 31% of the company’s total output. The company’s Port Colborne facility produces platinum group metals, gold and silver intermediate products.
Vale’s Sudbury and Port Colborne operations began an eight-week shutdown on June 1, 2009. Both facilities were scheduled to resume operations on July 27, 2009.
Vale (formerly Companhia Vale do Rio Doce, or CVRD) is a global company with a mission to transform mineral resources into prosperity and sustainable development. Headquartered in Brazil, Vale has a workforce of over 100,000 employees, including outsourced workers.
