By Keith Lacey
Union brothers from Norway threw tremendous support during a bitter strike, so members of Local 598 of the Mine Mill/CAW promise to show their representatives the some great northern hospitality over the next few days.
Lief Gusland and Terje Naess, leaders of the Norwegian Chemical Workers' Union (NKIF), Local 40, at the Falconbridge Nikkelverk nickel refinery in Kristiansand, Norway, are visting Sudbury.
The Norwegian trade unionists were key players in organizing an unprecedented trans-Atlantic sympathy strike in solidarity with the 1,200 members of Local 598 who spent seven long months on the picket line between August 2000 and February 2001.
The Norwegian unionized workers basically halted operations at the huge nickel refinery complex trying to force Falconbridge back to the bargaining table Sudbury and area workers have been on the picket lines for several months.
"What they did showed a great act of solidarity as their workers gave up pay to defend a right they believe in (protesting Falconbridge hiring replacement workers during a legal labour dispute)," said Rick Grylls, president of Local 598.
Gusland and Naess will be very busy during their Canadian visit. They will spend Thursday in Toronto speaking with CAW president Buzz Hargrove and will travel to Timmins Friday and Saturday to meet with the leaders of Local 599 at the Kidd Creek operations.
The visit coincides with Local 598's annual Union Solidarity Conference, set for Monday and annual health and safety presentations set for Tuesday at the Mine Mill office on Regent Street.
"We want to provide some information for our members on how they bargain collectively over in Europe with Falconbridge," said Grylls. "In Norway, workers have a right to refuse work if replacement workers are used.
"The whole social attitude in the union movement is different over in Europe and our union is very interested in how things are done over there."
There's an attitude in North America that the trade union movement is moving forward, but companies like Falconbridge would love nothing more than to dismantle strong union representation, said Grylls.
Gusland and Naess have both been union activists for many years and their expertise and knowledge should provide Local 598 members and leaders with plenty of good ideas, said Grylls.
Topics to be discussed at the union solidarity conference include a CAW stewards' training session and public forum on solidarity versus globalization, which is open to the public Monday at 1 pm.
The health and safety presentations begin Tuesday with coffee and registration at 8 am and continues all day.
For more information, phone 705-673-3661.
