BY TRACEY DUGUAY
The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, with the help of local grocery stores, is donating $12,500 worth of food vouchers to families affected by the Steelworkers strike at Inco Ltd.
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Steelworkers Local 6500 president John Fera (centre) says the strikers won?t forget the community?s support. |
The vouchers, each worth $50, can be picked up in the classroom of the Steelworkers? Union Centre at 92 Frood Rd., starting Thursday from 9 am to 5 pm.
They will be available on a ?first come, first serve? basis to union members with families to support.
?We?re looking at helping sole support earners with dependants who have not received any other income up to this point,? says Steelworkers? union representative Anne Rinneard.
Robin McArthur, president of the RWDSU, uttered strong words against Inco and the economic impact of the strike, which started June 1.
?We?re here to say that Inco, as far as we?re concerned, is holding this community as a hostage and they?re damaging small business,? says McArthur.
?If you go to the end of next week, there?s going to be 924,000 man hours lost, which is $23 million yanked out of this community. Inco doesn?t have the right to do that, they?ve taken billions of dollars out of this community and this is the thanks this community gets.?
By showing their solidarity with Steelworkers? Local 6500, McArthur wants to send a strong message to Inco that the ?community stands with the workers, and not with the corporate giants.?
The RWDSU represents the employees of Your Independent Grocers in the City of Greater Sudbury. Five local YIG stores, including Poulton?s on Regent, Dumas? on Lorne, Moncions? in Hanmer, Battistelli?s in Lively and Steve?s on Lasalle, donated the vouchers.
On hand for the voucher presentation was Abby Poulton, owner of Regent Street YIG, where the announcement was made on Monday afternoon.
While careful not to wade into the politics of the strike, Poulton says the grocery stores decided to help out after seeing the impact the strike was having on some families.
?This money that we?re donating is to help the really needy people and we know how they?re suffering,? he says.
