CANADIAN LABOUR-SUDBURY:

STRIKERS AND COMMUNITY:

The following letter was recently published in the Sudbury Star. It comes Molly's way via the strike support website Fair Deal Now set up by the Steelworkers to support the strike against Vale Inco.

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Steelworkers fight important to all:
Sudbury was built on mining and there is no doubt it is a valuable asset to our community. The economic spinoff for the city has been tremendous; Sudbury has prospered.

There have been difficult times for sure, but Sudbury and mining survived. The strike today between Vale Inco and the Steelworkers is about a different survival. I respect the "hard fight" of the union and am mindful of the tremendous gains and efforts made.

Mining is a dangerous profession and the workers earn every dollar they make.

The proposed Vale Inco pension, transfer rights and nickel bonus changes were reasonable business initiatives and open for discussion between both sides; bargaining in good faith and a deal would be made. There is a sense there was no bargaining of any kind, no real discussion of the issues. Then there is the 200-plus staff/management cuts of highly skilled mining employees, which is suspect.

This fight is much bigger than your typical labour dispute, it is about the survival of our community (mining contractors, service and supply companies), our resources, our people.
When the strike is over, the fear is, who will run and work the mines when all the skilled workers have been let go, what will this company look like and how many workers will die? Make no mistake, that will happen.

We cannot sit by and watch them dismantle our mining assets and what belongs to this city. I do not blame Vale Inco, I blame the government for letting them in. It's about respect.
C. Venturi Azilda