UPDATED - Nov. 23, 3:50 p.m.
Representatives from both the United Steelworkers and Vale Inco will appear before the Ontario Labour Relations Board in Toronto once again Nov. 25.
Steelworkers Local 2020, Steelworkers Local 6500 and the Steelworkers international office complained to the labour board in late September about Vale Inco's plans to use Local 2020 workers to do the work of Local 6500 members, who have been on strike since July 13.
The parties say it is unsafe for Local 2020 workers, who normally work in office, clerical and technical positions at Vale Inco, to do the work of the striking miners and mill workers because they aren't properly trained.
The company is operating Clarabelle Mill and two mines in the Sudbury area, on a limited basis, using workers who aren't on strike.
At the first hearing before the labour board, on Oct. 19, the Steelworkers tried to convince the board members to impose an interim order upon Vale Inco, prohibiting the company from being able to use Local 2020 members to cover for strikers until the case was fully heard.
The labour board turned down the Steelworkers' request.
Steelworkers staff representative Myles Sullivan said he hopes there will be a resolution to the case soon.
“This is the avenue that has to be taken to see what can be done. We're taking every means possible to force Vale to reverse their decision to unilaterally impose this on 2020 members against their will. Nobody wants to be forced to do a job they weren't hired to do under threat of dismissal.”
Vale Inco spokesperson Steve Ball said the company is confident that “that actions that we've taken in order to keep unionized staff gainfully employed during this strike are appropriate and lawful.”
The outcome of the Steelworkers' complaint “will ultimately be ultimately decided by the Ontario Labour Relations Board, and obviously we'll make further comment once a decision has been rendered.”
Sullivan said that so far, about 50 Local 2020 members are either doing the work of striking Local 6500 members, or are being trained to do so.
There have been no accidents or injuries yet among these workers, said Sullivan.
But he said his biggest concern is Local 2020 members may end up working in the smelter.
Although Vale Inco's intention is to start the smelter during the strike, no decision has yet been made to do so.
Ball said some workers are being trained to work in smelter operations. He said it's possible that those workers could include Local 2020 members.
The smelter, along with the majority of Vale Inco's other operations in Sudbury, has been out of operation since May because of a company-imposed shut down and the Local 6500 strike.
“From my understanding, the last time that the smelter was shut down for a period this long and then re-started was in 1982. When that happened, it was started by trained people that work the smelter, and know it inside and out,” said Sullivan.
“The smelter is a very complex, potentially dangerous big place to start up. There's flash furnaces, an acid plant and an oxygen plant. We know that there's leaks and sirens that go off in Copper Cliff from time to time. We're really hopeful that it (the smelter) does not start not only for the people that work there, but for the safety of the community.”
Ball said the company will be able to operate the smelter safely during the strike.
“We know what it would take to start it (the smelter) up and we know what skills are needed. Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but we're satisfied we can do it safely and meet all regulatory requirements.”
