Union celebrates 'major victory'

Mining giant Vale engaged in “patently unreasonable” conduct and violated provincial labour law by firing nine Sudbury workers without recourse, the Ontario Labour Relations Board has ruled.

“This ruling is another concrete example of Vale’s blatant disregard for workers’ rights, for our laws and for our country’s labour relations traditions and culture,” United Steelworkers International President Leo Gerard said, in a press release.

“This is a major victory for our union, for the working families who have been adversely affected by Vale’s unlawful conduct, and for unionized workers throughout the province,” USW Local 6500 President Rick Bertrand, said.

“It is shameful that the affected families have suffered in limbo for more than two years due to Vale’s illegal decision to deny workers their right to independent arbitration,” Bertrand said.

The OLRB ruled Feb. 24 that Vale violated the Ontario Labour Relations Act by maintaining a “patently unreasonable” position with regard to nine workers fired by the company during a year-long strike in Sudbury in 2009-10.

Two of the fired workers – Patrick Veinot and Jason Patterson – also were elected officers of the local union.

Vale broke the law by not “making every reasonable effort to make a collective agreement” during negotiations, as required by legislation, the labour board stated in its 29-page ruling, which made repeated references to “troubling” behaviour by Vale, according to the new release.

The labour board agreed with the Steelworkers that the fired workers must have recourse to the long-established right and tradition of third-party, just-cause arbitration.

“The Ontario Labour Relations Board has upheld the reasonable position that our union had put forward since March 2010,” Wayne Fraser, Steelworkers’ director for Ontario and Atlantic Canada, who was the union’s chief negotiator during bargaining with Vale, said.

“By refusing to agree to this reasonable position and, instead, adhering to its unlawful conduct, Vale prolonged the suffering and uncertainty for families in our community. The OLRB’s ruling should give Vale pause to consider the hardship inflicted on these families,” Fraser said.

“We are confident that the board’s decision will help bring about the reinstatement of these workers through the arbitration process,” Bertrand added.

“In the meantime, we invite Vale to reinstate these workers while the process runs its course. It would be the decent thing to do and it would be a welcome departure from Vale’s pattern of antagonistic behaviour.”

A comment from Vale was not immediately available, but the company said it will comment on the issue this week.

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Posted by Arron Pickard