Voisey's Bay negotiators to meet Monday

Posted By CAROL MULLIGAN, THE SUDBURY STAR

Updated 2 mins ago

Lead negotiators for United Steelworkers Local 9508 in Voisey's Bay and Vale Inco Newfoundland and Labrador will meet Jan. 4 in St. John's, NL, with the assistance of a provincial conciliator.

A meeting held Dec. 21 between spokesmen for the two sides was called by the conciliation officer appointed by the province.

The purpose of the meeting was to "determine if an opportunity existed for returning to the bargaining table," according to information posted on the website for VINL ( www.vinlnegotiations.com).

Vale Inco spokesman Cory McPhee said Tuesday that while no decision to resume formal talks was made as a result of that meeting, the two sides did agree to meet again early in the new year.

The two lead negotiators and one additional bargaining team member from each side will sit down again with the conciliator.

About 200 Steelworkers -- miners, catering staff and security personnel -- at the Voisey's Bay nickel mine in northern Labrador went on strike Aug. 1 Another 3,200 Steelworkers with Local 6500 in Sudbury and Local 6200 in Port Colborne have been on strike since July 13 in a separate labour dispute.

Workers in Voisey's bay have been without a collective agreement since March.

Their local has said VINL wants to freeze wages, roll back bonuses and increase the number of temporary workers at the nickel and copper mine.

In Ontario, Vale Inco has maintained it is looking for changes in the way unionized employees are paid to make operations sustainable in the long term.

No talks of any sort have been held between Vale Inco and its Ontario strikers since early July.