MPP's statements 'designed to instill fear': Pollesel

The statements made by Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas following an incident at the Copper Cliff smelter complex, where an extension of a 100-foot-tall chimney fell and landed on an oxygen line, were "designed to instill fear amongst the residents of Sudbury," according to John Pollesel, Vale Inco vice-president of production services and support.

Pollesel made the statement in an open letter sent to Gélinas, which can be read online at www.valeinconegotiations.com.

In his letter, Pollesel states no one in Gélinas office, or Gélinas herself, made an attempt to contact Vale Inco about the incident before speaking to MCTV news on May 10. He said her comments to the media were to scare city residents. She said "If this thing (the oxygen plant) was to blow up, Copper Cliff goes and so does half of Sudbury." 
He also said Gélinas blamed replacement workers for increasing the risk.

For her part, Gélinas admits she didn't contact Vale Inco before speaking to the media. She said she also had not spoken to the United Steelworkers about the incident. But she was not uninformed, she said.

"This weekend, my phone started ringing off the hook," she said. She said her constituents had informed her about the chimney extension falling in Copper Cliff.

"We have what is called an MPP Liaison in every ministry, so I called the MPP liaison to the Ministry of Labour. I got first a quick briefing (after the incident happened), then they called me back for a full briefing as to what had happened on Monday."

During a nursing week event, media asked her about the incident, Gélinas explained. She said she did nothing but bring up her constituents fears.

In his letter, Pollesel also wrote it appeared Gélinas' statements were being made to "further the USW cause and carry favour among those you consider your political supporters," and "you are meant to be representing the whole of your constituency and not representing a single, vocal interest group."

But Gélinas said all she wants is for both sides to return to the bargaining table.

"I am putting an awful pile of pressure on both sides to go back to the negotiation table, so that some of them are pushing back is not surprising," she said. "It's a very normal, human reaction."

Gélinas said that she, and probably most of the city, would like to see the strike end, bringing to close more than 10 months of uncertainty and fear.

"My constituents are telling me that they are scared," she said. "They are all scared for a multitude of different reasons. I hear lots about the oxygen plants. I hear lots about the nickel refinery. I hear about the acid plants, basically highly technical parts of Vale Inco operations. If those part of their operation are not run properly, there is a real risk to the neighbourhood's community. People that live in the neighbourhood are scared. They are telling me that they are scared. I cannot go out of the house without having somebody coming to me to tell me that they're worried and they're scared."