Vale Inco
Despite reaping huge profits since taking over Inco Ltd. in late 2006, Brazil-based Vale has wrought unprecedented labour strife, job losses and economic pain on Canadian communities, including year-long labour disputes in Ontario and an 18-month strike in Voisey's Bay. USW members and activists have responded with extensive workplace, community and international campaigns to counter the destructive effects of Vale's agenda. Our website, FairDealNow.ca, provides the latest news and updates on the Steelworkers' fight for fairness.
Fair Deal Now website
News Releases and Articles
- 7 March 2012 Sudbury Star Critics Want Vale to Change Safety Reporting System
- 1 March 2012 Victoria Times Colonist Union blames miner for deaths
- 1 March 2012 Sudbury Star Scathing report
- 29 February 2012 Media Release Double Fatality at Vale Mine Could Have Been Avoided
- 29 February 2012 Video "Run of Muck" – Vale Fatalities Avoidable
- 29 February 2012 The Toronto Star Vale should possibly face criminal charges in mining deaths, Steelworkers say
- 12 January 2012 Public Eye Awards Vale Competes for "Worst Company in the World"
- 22 December 2011 Media Release Vale Convicted of Unfair Labour Practice in Landmark Decision of Ontario Labour Board
- 22 December 2011 OLRB Decision OLRB Ruling on Vale Violation Regarding USW V.P.
- 20 May 2011 Progressive Economics Forum: What Newfoundland & Labrador Can Teach Canada About 21st Century Globalization
- 11 May 2011 Media Release: Voisey’s Bay Report A Victory for Workers, Vindication for Union
- 31 January 2011 Media Release: Voisey’s Bay Workers Ratify Five-Year Agreement
- 17 January 2011 St. John's Telegram: A Squandered Chance for Labour Peace
- 14 January 2011 Media Release: Vale's Arrogance and Intransigence Require Government Action
- 11 January 2011 Media Release: Commission Report Requires Immediate Government Action
- 6 January 2011 Media Release: Vale Abandons Talks Aimed at Settling Voisey's Bay Strike
- 5 January 2011 CBC News: Voisey's Bay Talks Resume Under New Pressure
- 9 December 2010 Sudbury Star: Sudbury Steelworkers Raise $12,000 for Voisey's Bay Strikers
- 21 November 2010 St. John's Telegram: Vale Inquiry Continues
- 18 November 2010 Winnipeg Sun: Province to Fight Thompson Smelter Shutdown
-
23 December 2011
ORLB Ruling on Vale Violation Regarding USW V.P.
- 17 November 2010 Vale Announcement Long on Propaganda, Short on Investment
- 2 November 2010 Vale’s Massive Profits A Slap in the Face to NL Workers RELEASE, 29 OCTOBER 2010 –Mining giant Vale’s latest record-breaking profit report is a stunning condemnation of this foreign corporation’s shameful treatment of Newfoundland and Labrador workers.
- 16 August 2010 Steelworkers Welcome Ruling in Complaint Against Vale
- 21 July 2010 Vale-Steelworkers Talks Break Off in Voisey's Bay
- 9 July 2010 Ratification Votes Set, USW and Vale Agree on Terms of Bad Faith Complaint RELEASE Toronto, 4 July, 2010 – Members to vote July 7-8 on tentative deal in 51-week strike.
- 9 July 2010 Steelworkers Ratify Five-Year Collective Agreement With Vale
- 28 May 2010 Inco Name Fades into History
- 23 March 2010 Global Support Reaffirmed for Steelworkers Strike Against Vale
- 23 March 2010 Union Support to Converge at Sudbury Rally
- 16 March 2010 Join the Fight in Sudbury!
- 15 March 2010 Port Colborne Steelworkers Vote 98% to Reject Vale Offer
- 26 February 2010 USW, Vale Inco Representatives to Hold Exploratory Discussions
- 23 February 2010 Vale Executives’ Attacks on Workers Bad for Business, Report Reveals BANNER, 11 FEB 2010 - “It appears there are Vale executives who are willing to forego earnings and incur extra costs in order to extend the strike in Canada”
- 16 February 2010 What Happened to Prized Nickel Producer?
- 19 January 2010 Steelworkers File Bad-Faith Bargaining Complaint Against Vale Inco
- 19 January 2010 USW Hopeful Bargaining with Vale Can Resume in Voisey’s Bay
- 19 January 2010 VALE INCO STRIKE: 1978 Different Than Current Strike
- 17 December 2009 It’s Time for both Steelworkers and Vale Inco to Say “No Pre-Conditions” and Go Back to Bargaining Now.
- 10 December 2009 Steelworkers Take Protest to Big Apple
- 7 December 2009 Miners Come to Parliament Hill as Foreign Investment Bill is Introduced
- 7 December 2009 USW Names Vale CEO Winner of Global Bad Corporate Citizen Award
- 25 November 2009 Petition Denouncing Vale's Attacks 'Catching Fire' on Twitter
- 25 November 2009 Steelworkers Fight Back, while Vale Discredited
- 17 November 2009 Vale Gives Brazilians Increase, But Demands Big Concessions from Canadians
- 9 November 2009 Global Union Pickets Vale in London
- 5 November 2009 USW Welcomes Mayor’s Call For Good-Faith Bargaining
- 5 November 2009 Vale Fails to Release Deal Info
- 30 October 2009 Vale Q3 Report Belies Need for Major Concessions from Canadian Workers
- 28 October 2009 Inco Office Staff Get the Shaft: USW
- 28 October 2009 Steelworkers Confront Vale Customer in Sweden
- 28 October 2009 Steelworkers Protest Arrival of Vale Shipment in German Port - Union Going Global to Track Product and Reach Vale Customers
- 28 October 2009 Steelworkers say Vale Inco is Undercutting Strike
- 28 October 2009 Vale Inco Strikers Hold Demo Against Hiding Vale Inco
- 21 September 2009 African Trade Unions Tell Global Mining Giant Vale – Improve Your Labor Practices or Stay Out of Africa!
- 21 September 2009 Thousands Show Support for Striking Vale Inco Workers
- 8 September 2009 An Open Letter to Our Neighbours and Our Community
- 1 September 2009 Striking Union Outraged with Inco Vow to Start Production
- 18 August 2009 Vale Inco Strikers Receive Overwhelming Support and Help from Federal NDP
- 14 August 2009 Striking Steelworkers Delegation Finds Support Among Brazilian Unions.
- 5 August 2009 Brazilian President Takes Aim at Vale SA
- 5 August 2009 Inco Workers Won’t Take a Step Backwards
- 5 August 2009 Steelworkers Get Line Support
- 4 August 2009 Voisey’s Bay Joins Other Locals on Picket Line
- 31 July 2009 Leo Gerard Says Strike Is About Sustaining Community in Sudbury Leo Gerard sees a commitment among Inco strikers not to let Vale rob us of our history, rob us of our dignity and rob us of our future.
- 30 July 2009 Momentum Grows for Sudbury Steelworkers’ call for Fair Deal Now UPDATE – The innovative strike website FairDealNow.ca now includes messages of solidarity from around the globe as the fight against multinational Vale Inco grows into an international struggle. NEW to site: Portuguese section; legal injunction and storefront downloadable signs.
- 24 July 2009 Clement 'Disappointingly Misinformed' - Letter from Sudbury Mayor to Clement Read an interesting letter from Mayor John Rodriguez to Industry Minister Tony Clement dated July 20. For more updated and latest news on the strike at Vale Inco, please visit www.fairdealnow.com
- 24 July 2009 Clement 'Disappointingly Misinformed' - Letter from Sudbury Mayor to Clement Read an interesting letter from Mayor John Rodriguez to Industry Minister Tony Clement dated July 20. For more updated and latest news on the strike at Vale Inco, please visit www.fairdealnow.com
- 21 July 2009 Resentment Builds, Causing Workers to Strike Back Hamilton Spectator - Workers on picket lines are disappointed to see the bosses take raises, while they are asked to accept a pay freeze. Ken Neumann says "they're tyring to turn the clock back".
- 20 July 2009 Vale Inco Saved Sudbury from Becoming Valley of Death: Clement - Comment on this Story WATCH LEO GERARD explain how Vale Inco is not living up to their promises to the people of Sudbury.
- 16 July 2009 Hometown Boy, Gerard, to Join Pickets Friday International President of United Steelworkers will bring his determination and passion to the fight against one of the most profitable multinationals that is threatening the viability of its Canadian communities, and demanding long-term dramatic cuts from it’s workforce.
- 16 July 2009 Steelworker Int'l Head coming to Canada to Join Inco Picket Line in his Hometown of Sudbury TORONTO, July 15 - Leo Gerard, International President for the United Steelworkers will join the picket line at the Vale Inco nickel mine in his hometown of Sudbury.
- 13 July 2009 Inco CEO Predicts Short-lived Strike 10 JULY 2009 – NDP MP questions Vale’s claim that it’s Sudbury operations is “not sustainable”. Vale-Inco give no indications they will back away from deep concessions.
- 13 July 2009 Over 85% of Vale Inco Workers Reject Final Offer and Prepare for Possibly Long Strike 11 JULY 2009 – In a strong show of support for the unions bargaining team and a complete rejection of the company’s attempt to impose long-term and major concessions, Vale Inco workers vote in large numbers to reject offer.
- 13 July 2009 Picket Lines Go Up at Vale Inco Operations THE SUDBURY STAR, 13 JULY 2009 - Port Colborne Local Also Rejects Proposal by 95 per cent
- 13 July 2009 Sudbury Steelworkers Vow to Protect Contract 10 JULY 2009 – After hearing the details of the company’s “final offer” and realizing it continues to include long-term structural changes to the collective agreement, the members of locals 6500 and 6200 prepare for strike
- 13 July 2009 USW Local 6200 Announces the Result of the 2009 Ratification Vote 12 JULY 2009 - Local 6200 now joins Local 6500 in a legal strike position on Sunday, July 12 at midnight, after 95% voted to reject Vale Inco's offer.
- 13 July 2009 USW Workers at Vale Inco Overwhelmingly Vote to Strike 11 JULY 2009 – After years of innovative and creative contracts, Vale-Inco workers are saddened to have to reject completely unacceptable offer. But reject it they do, and overwhelmingly.
- 13 July 2009 Vale-Inco Workers Vote Overwhelmingly to Go on Strike and Global Union Declares Unanimous Support 11 JULY 2009 – After month of bargaining where Vale-Inco never moved from their demand for dramatic long-term structural concessions, the Sudbury workers will begin the strike on Monday, July 13th.
- 13 July 2009 Vale-Inco's Voisey's Bay Workers Reject Contract Offer Vote for Strike 9 JULY 2009 – United Steelworkers in Voisey’s Bay reject contract containing massive long-term concession to bonus and pensions. Strike to begin August 1st.
- 13 July 2009 “We Just Can't Accept It,” Sudbury Family tells Vale-Inco as They Vote to Reject Cut-Back Offer 11 JULY 2009 – With two incomes on line and a baby on the way, Sarah Hunter and Ronnie Young explain why it’s important to reject Vale’s offer to make long-term cutbacks to pensions, bonuses and seniority.
- 10 July 2009 Major Strike at Vale Inco Looms 7 JULY 2009 – The final offer from Vale contained the same major concessions as their first offer months ago. Massively profitable Vale wants two-tiered pensions, the elimination of the nickel bonus and roll-back of seniority.
- 9 July 2009 Vale Inco Tactics Troubling, USW Union Says 8 JULY 2009, The Sudbury Star – John Fera, president of USW local 6500 believes that in addition to insisting on major concessions Vale is also using troubling tactics to divide the union.
- 8 July 2009 Strike Would Hit Community Hard 7 July 2009 – Sudbury Star: As the company tables it’s “final offer” which continues to include major concessions of two-tiered pensions, elimination of the nickel bonus and clawbacks to seniority, the community recognized they will also be the victim of the fight that Vale is picking with it’s workers.
- 8 July 2009 Vale Workers May Strike Over Benefits in Canada - Brazil Publication Says 1 JULY 2009 – Brazil’s “Wall Street Journal” has taken notice that Brazilian based Vale is demanding major concessions from its workers and is possibly going to end up in a strike.