United Steelworkers Local 6500, which has been on strike against Vale Inco for nine and a half months, is planning a number of protests over the next month to demand legislation to ban replacement workers.
The first in the series of these protests is a rally scheduled to take place April 29 at 2 p.m. at Queen's Park in Toronto.
Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas announced last week she will introduce a private member's bill in the legislature on April 29 that would, if passed, ban replacement workers in the province.
Bernie Arseneau, a striking Steelworker who is helping to organize the event, said Local 6500 will send a “couple bus loads” of strikers to the rally, or about 100 people. Strikers from Port Colborne are also expected to attend the rally.
May will also be declared “anti-scab month” by the union, with a number of activities and protests organized around this theme, Arseneau said.
According to a schedule of events provided by Arseneau, on May 1, Local 6500 will send a bus to Hamilton to protest the loss of manufacturing jobs at U.S. Steel.
On May 2, the union will officially announce that May is “anti-scab month” at their Brady Street hall.
On May 8, the strikers will distribute leaflets in the Sudbury area (corresponding to Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci's riding) about the problems associated with the use of replacement workers.
On May 12, they will attend a city council meeting to ask for an anti-replacement worker bylaw to be passed.
On May 19, two busloads of strikers are expected to attend a rally in Sault Ste. Marie. The rally will focus on saving northern jobs and northern communities.
On May 20, the strikers will hold a protest outside of Bartolucci's office “to deliver a message regarding the use of scabs in our community and the lack of government involvement.”
On May 26, the Steelworkers will hold a “Camping on the Hill” protest in Ottawa. The protesters will stay overnight on Parliament Hill, and will attempt to bring attention to “the sale of Canadian resources, infrastructure, manufacturing plants and businesses.”
These protest actions come as Vale Inco ramps up production at its Sudbury operations.
Vale Inco spokesperson Steve Ball recently told Northern Life the company is planning to bring in a “couple hundred” replacement workers to help bring Creighton and Coleman mines into full production by the end of June.
