CANADIAN LABOUR-SUDBURY:

MORE ON MOORE-ON A SUDBURY SATURDAY NIGHT:

Molly knows this is a little late, as the event of the United Steelworkers solidarity rally is now ongoing. I beg the time zone difference and other extenuating circumstances (don't ask). In any case the guys and girls of the USW who are on strike against Vale Inco will have an extra treat this Sudbury Saturday Night as American film maker Michael Moore has agreed to have the third preliminary screening of his new movie 'Capitalism:A Love Story' at the solidarity rally today. The film will be released in theatres sometime in October. The more I hear about this Moore character the better I like him, even if he always looks like he got off a 36 hour ride on The Dog. In ny case here's the story from the Sudbury Star.

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Moore's film gets rare Sudbury screening:
Posted By STAR STAFF
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Michael Moore won't be here for today's solidarity rally for United Steelworkers, but he is sending a copy of his latest film as a gesture of support.

Moore has taken an interest in the Steelworkers' strike against Vale Inco and is permitting a screening of his film that will be released in theatres later this year.

Capitalism: A Love Storywill be screened privately for strikers and visiting dignitaries ("dignitaries" ???-Molly )today at 5 p. m. at Silver City.

"We are proud and thankful to Michael Moore for providing such meaningful support for our members here in Sudbury," said Leo Gerard, international president of United Steelworkers.

"Throughout his career, Michael has consistently called for social justice and fair treatment for working people."

The Sudbury screening will be only the third time the film has been shown. At its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, Moore walked the red carpet with four striking miners and the national director of United Steelworkers.

Moore told reporters Sudbury's battle epitomizes the community values and need for justice his films convey. The second screening of the film was Monday in support of Steelworkers at the AFL-CIO convention.

John Fera, president of USW Local 6500, said this promises to be a great weekend in Sudbury. The film will be shown hours after an international solidarity rally at 11 a. m. at Sudbury Community Arena. Labour leaders and members from several countries will attend.

"We have our wonderful Sudbury community coming out to a rally to show us support. We have international leaders coming to show us that communities around the world support Sudbury. And, now we see that famous people who care about justice will lend their support," said Fera.
CUPE LENDS SUPPORT
The Canadian Union of Public Employees has thrown its support behind striking Vale Inco workers in Sudbury, Port Colbourne and Voisey's Bay, Nl.

In addition to its moral support, the union is also donating $10,000 to the United Steelworkers' strike fund and encouraging CUPE locals to provide financial and/or picket line support.

CUPE will also join the United Steelworkers in lobbying all levels of government to introduce anti-scab legislation.

"Vale Inco is attempting to weaken striking workers' morale," CUPE national president Paul Moist said in a release. "But by using scab labour, they are only heightening and prolonging tensions, and poisoning relations with Vale Inco workers for years to come. This is incredibly damaging for the Sudbury community."

"As employers continue to use the recession as an excuse to demand concessions from workers, CUPE stands in solidarity with the workers at Vale Inco who are fighting to protect their hard-won benefits," said Moist.

Vale Inco has said it intends to resume partial production at its Sudbury operations, and plans to use non-union staff and union members not on strike to do most of the work.

The resolution comes as more than 3,300 Steelworkers enter their third month on strike. Vale Inco, which is now 100% owned by Brazilian interests, is attempting "to gut workers' collective agreements by demanding they accept inferior pension plans and seniority agreements," CUPE said in its release.
editorial@ thesudburystar.com

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In addition to the Michael Moore film there will be/is a lot more going on at the Sudbury rally, as the following from the United Steelworkers site says. One can only hope that the travel expenses were paid for by the unions in solidarity with the USW and not by the strike fund. One union which is absent from the 'star line-up' is the Union des Syndicates des Travailleurs Kanak et Exploitées in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia. Said union, which is in sympathy with the anarcho-syndicalism of the French CNT (the CNT-Vignoles,) represents some of the workers at Vale Inco operations in New Caledonia. The USTKE has more than its own share of troubles ie government repression, as a visitor to their site can verify, but they are surely watching the strike in Sudbury with sympathy. Or at least I can judge that because people from that island have visted Molly's Blog on this subject. There is little doubt that these people have little extra money to send representatives on plane trips to the wilds of Northern Ontario, but that doesn't mean that they aren't watching and hoping for a victory for the Sudbury strikers. Here's the story from the USW.

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Ten International Guests from Around the World to Highlight Saturday’s Steelworkers Rally in Sudbury:
RELEASE, 17 Sept 2009 – In the largest gathering of international labour leaders northern Ontario has ever seen, International guests representing over 168 millions of workers from countries around the world will join the citizens of Sudbury in a rally of support for Vale Inco strikers and their families this Saturday.

The local labour battle with Vale Inco has captured the attention of workers and communities around the world. “There are many communities in Latin America, Africa, Europe and Asia that are watching the Vale Inco strike very closely,” said Ken Neumann, National Director of United Steelworkers. “They know this is a battle over what massively profitable multinationals can get away with in the communities where they extract resources.”

“For two months, our members have appreciated the overwhelming support shown by the citizens of Sudbury. Now, we realize there is also significant international support for our issue,” said John Fera, President of USW Local 6500.

“Saturday’s rally promises to be an historic event that demonstrates that our strikers and their families have strong support within the Sudbury community and from workers in communities in many parts of the world,” said Wayne Fraser, USW District Director for Ontario and Atlantic Canada.
WHAT
International and Community Rally in Support of Sudbury’s Strikers
WHO
Labour Leaders from Around the World, and Sudbury Community
WHEN
Saturday, Sept 19th, 11:00 am
WHERE
Sudbury Arena (240 Elgin St)
Guests at Sudbury’s Sept 19th rally include:
**Sharon Burrow, President ITUC (largest trade union confederation in the world) and ACTU (Australia largest trade union council) (Australia)
**Manfred Warda, General Secretary of ICEM (Int’l federation (incl mining) of over 500 unions) (Germany)
**Jyki Raina, General Secretary of IMF (Int’l federation of over 200 unions of metalworkers) (Geneva, Switzerland)
**Ken Georgetti, President of Canadian Labour Congress (Canada)
Artur Henrique da Silva Santos, President of CUT (Largest trade union in Brazil) (Brazil)
**Edwardo Pinto, President STEFEM (Brazilian railway workers) and member of Vale Board of Directors (Brazil) ( uhhh. does one spell the new South American leftism as "corporatism" ?-Molly )
**Paul Talbot, Assistant General Secretary, Unite (Britain’s largest labour union w/ over 2million members) (UK)
**Jorge Campos, International Affairs Secretary for Vale Union Network (network of workers internationally that work for Vale), and General Secretary, Sindimina (Brazilian mineworkers) (Brazil)
**John Sweeney, Recent President of AFL-CIO (Largest trade union federation in America) (USA) ( Any relation to the Sweeney, or dare I ask ?- Molly )
**Napoleon Gomez Urutia, General Secretary, National Union of Mineworkers (Mexico)
These guests are in addition to United Steelworker leaders:
**Leo Gerard, International President of United Steelworkers
**Ken Neumann, National Director of the United Steelworkers
**Wayne Fraser, USW District Director for Ont. and Atlantic Canada
**John Fera, President of USW Local 6500 (Sudbury)

Contacts:

John Fera, President of USW Local 6500, 705-675-228 1x238 /

Wayne Fraser, USW District Director, 416-577-4045 /

Bob Gallagher, USW Communications, 416-544-5966 / 416-434-2221 /

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Well, at least somebody is donating into the strike fund and not drawing travel expenses. CUPE has come out in full support of the strikers, as mentioned above. Here is their statement. This strike is very much a test case. Lose it and international corporations will walk all over ordinary Canadians for years to come.

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CUPE backs Vale Inco workers:
In a resolution passed this week, CUPE pledges its financial and moral support to the United Steelworkers locals on strike at Vale Inco. Workers are on strike in Sudbury and Port Colbourne, Ontario, and in Voisey’s Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador.

The resolution comes as thousands of workers enter their third month on strike. Vale Inco, which is now 100 per cent owned by Brazilian interests, is attempting to gut workers’ collective agreements by demanding they accept inferior pension plans and seniority agreements.

Instead of returning to the bargaining table, Vale Inco is resuming production during the labour dispute by using inexperienced, non-union staff and scab labour.

“Vale Inco is attempting to weaken striking workers’ morale” said CUPE National President Paul Moist. “But by using scab labour, they are only heightening and prolonging tensions, and poisoning relations with Vale Inco workers for years to come. This is incredibly damaging for the Sudbury community”.

“As employers continue to use the recession as an excuse to demand concessions from workers, CUPE stands in solidarity with the workers at Vale Inco who are fighting to protect their hard-won benefits,” said Moist.

CUPE will donate $10,000.00 to the United Steelworkers’ strike fund, and encourage CUPE locals to provide financial and/or picket line support. CUPE will also join the United Steelworkers in lobbying all levels of government to introduce anti-scab legislation.

“We would also like to see the federal government put some conditions on foreign ownership,” said Moist. “The majority ownership of Canadian resource-based businesses should remain in the hands of Canadians.” (I don't know if that will improve things much-Molly )

For more information, contact:
CUPE media relations - 613-818-0067
Resolution of CUPE’s National Executive Board – Vale Inco

CUPE NATIONAL WILL:

Provide financial and moral support to United Steelworkers locals on strike at Vale Inco in Sudbury and Port Colbourne, Ontario and Voisey’s Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, that includes:

• A financial contribution in the amount of $10,000.00 to the United Steelworkers’ strike fund

• Encouraging CUPE locals to provide financial and/or picket line support.

• Lobbying all governments to introduce anti-scab legislation.

• Writing to the Prime Minister of Canada requesting that the Federal government change the conditions put on the purchase of Canadian resource-based businesses so that the majority ownership of such businesses remains in the hands of Canadians.

• Writing a joint letter with the CUPE Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador Divisions to the Premiers of Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador requesting that their governments take the steps necessary to ensure that scab workers are not used during this labour dispute, and to request that their respective health and safety branches increase inspections and surveillance, and step up enforcement efforts during this labour dispute.

BECAUSE:

• Vale Inco is now 100% owned by Brazilian interests.

* Vale Inco is attempting to gut the collective agreement by requesting that:

1. New employees be subject to a defined contribution pension plan rather than the current defined benefit pension plan; and

2. An increased trigger point for the “nickel bonus” which was negotiated at the insistence of the company many years ago when the company was suffering through a downturn in the economy; and

3. Company-wide seniority be changed to plant or business unit seniority only.

• Vale Inco is resuming production during this labour dispute intending to use inexperienced, non-union staff and scab labour.

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Good luck to all the boys and girls down Sudbury way this Sudbury Saturday Night. Just to close off here's the lyrics to Sudbury Saturday Night from another of my heroes, Stompin' Tom Conners. I imagine there'll be a lot of singing of this tune tonight. You can, by the way view a video of Stompin' Tom doing this signature song HERE.

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The girls are out to Bingo and the boys are gettin' stinko,
And we think no more of Inco on a Sudbury Saturday night.
The glasses they will tinkle when our eyes begin to twinkle,
And we'll think no more of Inco on a Sudbury Saturday night.

***
With Irish Jim O'Connel there and Scotty Jack MacDonald,
There's honky Fredrick Hurchell gettin' tight, but that's alright,
There's happy German Fritzy there with Frenchy getting tipsy,
And even Joe the Gypsy knows it's Saturday tonight.

***
Now when Mary Ann and Mabel come to join us at the table,
And tell us how the Bingo went tonight, we'll look a fright.
But if they won the money, we'll be lappin' up the honey, boys,
'Cause everything is funny, for it's Saturday tonight

***
The girls are out to Bingo and the boys are gettin' stinko,
And we think no more of Inco on a Sudbury Saturday night.
The glasses they will tinkle when our eyes begin to twinkle,
And we'll think no more of Inco on a Sudbury Saturday night.

***
We'll drink the loot we borrowed and recuperate tomorrow,
'Cause everything is wonderful tonight, we had a good fight,
We ate the Dilly Pickle and we forgot about the Nickel,
And everybody's tickled, for it's Saturday tonight

***
The songs that we'll be singing, they might be wrong but they'll be ringing,
When the lights of town are shining bright, and we're all tight,
We'll get to work on Monday, but tomorrow's only Sunday,
And we're out to have a fun day for it's Saturday tonight. Yeah

***
The girls are out to Bingo and the boys are gettin' stinko,
And we think no more of Inco on a Sudbury Saturday night.
The glasses they will tinkle when our eyes begin to twinkle,
And we'll think no more of Inco on a Sudbury Saturday night.

***
We'll think no more of Inco on a Sudbury Saturday night.

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Too bad I never got this off last night, so I might as well add a few reports abour how the rally went. Here's one from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

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Labour stands together in Sudbury:
Nearly 3,000 supporters from across the international labour community gathered in Sudbury Saturday to pledge their ongoing support to Vale Inco Strikers.

Vale Inco, which is 100% owned by Brazilian interests, is attempting to gut workers’ collective agreements by demanding they accept inferior pension plans and seniority agreements. Thousands of United Steelworkers members have been on strike since mid-July in Sudbury and Port Colborne, Ontario, and in Voisey’s Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador.

“We are out in force today to show support for the Steelworkers: CUPE is here, the community is here, people from all over the world are here,” said Wyman MacKinnon, CUPE Regional Vice-President for Northern Ontario.

Among the international guests were representatives from international federations such as ITUC, ICEM, IMF, and leaders of the AFL-CIO from the United States, Unite from the UK, CUT and Sindimina from Brazil, and the National Union of Mine workers from Mexico. Together, they represent over 168 million workers from around the world.

Federal NDP leader Jack Layton, Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath, CLC President Ken Georgetti and CUPE National Paul Moist were also on hand to extend their support. (See Paul Moist extend CUPE's support to the striking workers.)

The rally came on the heels of a resolution of support from the CUPE National Executive board promising a $10,000 contribution to the United Steelworkers’ strike fund, encouraging CUPE locals to provide support, and pledging to lobby all governments to introduce anti-scab legislation.

“Vale Inco has taken over 4 billion dollars out of Canada in profit in the last three years, and yet it is looking for multiple concessions. We will support the Steelworkers and the Sudbury community until they get the fair agreement they deserve,” said Paul Moist.

“Vale Inco is massively profitable, currently has huge cash assets, and increased its executive compensation by 121% in the last two years,” added John Fera, President of USW Local 6500.

Later on Saturday, Academy Award winning filmmaker Michael Moore also demonstrated his support for the strikers and the community by holding a special Sudbury screening of his new film, “Capitalism: A Love Story”, to be released in theatres in October.

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Here's another report from the pages of Northern Life. Seems that at least part of the rally turned out to be a love-in for the moustache that walks ie Jack Layton, but a lot of other things were happening.

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Vale 'picked the wrong town' to fight with: Layton:
By: Heidi Ulrichsen - Sudbury Northern Life

Federal NDP leader Jack Layton had some encouraging words for several thousand people attending a Sept. 19 rally at the Sudbury Community Arena in support of striking Steelworkers Local 6500 members.

About 3,100 members of Local 6500 have been on strike since July 13. Steelworkers members are also on strike against Vale Inco in Port Colborne, Ont. and Voisey's Bay, Nfld.

Vale Inco “picked the wrong town” if it thought that it could “take away what working people have built over generations in this country and this town,” he said.

“You're going to win this battle, my friends,” Layton said. He assured the crowd that the NDP would fight for the strikers, and would “make sure there are federal anti-scab laws.”

Besides Layton, those who spoke at the event included provincial NDP leader Andrea Horwath, Mayor John Rodriguez, international United Steelworkers president Leo Gerard and unionists from across Canada and around the world.

About half of the arena was filled during the rally. Among those in attendance were many families with small children. The participants stood up and cheered often during the event, waving union flags.

Several times throughout the event, union leaders asked the crowd if they were “ready to fight,” and they answered “Yes!” Retired union members led the crowd in singing songs such as “Solidarity Forever.”

One of the foreign union leaders attending the event, Artu Henrique da Silva Santos of CUT (Central Unica dos Trabalhadores) Brazil, told the crowd that Brazilian workers would mobilize to ensure that “strike breaking” workers from their country would not be sent to Sudbury.

He said Brazilian Vale Inco workers face much the same battles in trying to get a contract as those in Sudbury.

Gerard said the strike “is a fight like you've never had before.” It will determine “what kind of future we'll have, and what kind of future our kids and grandkids will have.”

In the old days, people used to complain that the profits from the mines went to Toronto or Ottawa, said Gerard. Now the profits go “to bankers in Japan,” he said.

He said that Vale Inco workers in Brazil “get treated like junk...They have a right to fire them at will,” he said.

Gerard said that “this fight isn't just about members of Local 6500,” it's about the entire Sudbury community.

Who attended?

-Jack Layton, federal NDP leader

-Andrea Horwath, Ontario NDP leader

-John Rodriguez, Sudbury mayor

-Glenn Thibeault, Sudbury MP

-Claude Gravelle, Nickel Belt MP

-France Gelinas, Nickel Belt MPP

-Sharan Burrow, president of the International Trade Union Confederation and the Australian Council of Trade Unions

-Manfred Warra, general secretary of the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions

-Jyrki Raina, general secretary of the International Metalworkers' Federation

-Ken Georgetti, president of the Canadian Labour Congress

-John Sweeney, past-president of the American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organizations

-Artur Henrique da Silva Santos, president of CUT (Central Unica dos Trabalhadores) Brazil

-Eduardo Pinto, president of STEFEM, the union of railroad workers in four states in Brazil

-Paul Talbot, assistant general secretary, Unite the Union

-Jorge Campos, general secretary of SINDIMINA, a union of mine workers in Brazil

-Napoleon Gomez Urutia, general secretary, National Union of Mineworkers

-Leo Gerard, international president, United Steelworkers

-Ken Neumann, national director, United Steelworkers

-Wayne Fraser, United Steelworkers district director for Ontario and Atlantic Canada

-John Fera, president of United Steelworkers Local 6500

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Finally, things haven't been quiet out on the picket lines in the last few days either. Here from the Sudbury Star (courtesy of the strike support blog Fair Deal Now ) is what happened on Friday as Vale Inco tried to move materials as part of their planned restart of production using scab labour.

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Picketers blocking transports:
Posted By LARA BRADLEY, THE SUDBURY STAR
Four trucks carrying ore and their drivers sat idle outside Vale Inco's Clarabelle Mill on Friday, as strikers stepped up picket line activity for a second straight day.

The trucks, belonging to the Day Group and, according to strikers, carrying ore from the company's Frood-Stobie mine, were stopped Thursday afternoon. They will not be allowed to cross the line, picketers with Local 6500 of the United Steelworkers said.

"As much as we can, we're going to stop them from moving the ore," said Bob Hickey, a union member for 12 years. "Something has to give. They're not talking, they don't want to talk. This stalemate is driving the guys crazy."

At the entrance to the Clarabelle Mine Road, a group of Steelworkers waved a massive Canadian flag to the constant honking of motorists passing by on the highway.

"(Moving ore) is against the injunction," said Pat Veinot, a former vice-president of Steelworkers Local 6500, who was visiting the line.

"When we read the injunction, it speaks to care and maintenance, but this has to do with production -- moving ore -- it's something that never has happened in the history of Inco in Sudbury."

Adding fuel to the fire, Veinot said, the union found out that the company used a train to bring ore to the Clarabelle Mill Friday from Frood-Stobie.

"And we know this is against the injunction," he said.

Asked if the union had any plans to picket the train track, Veinot said:

"I would imagine if they're going to move a train, then, yeah, we're going to stop them. Peacefully. "

It can be done without violence, he added.

"We spoke to the police officers ... They've said they're pleased with our conduct here," Veinot said. "You don't have to burn down building and you don't have to roll cars. You just have to stop them."

Company spokesperson Steve Ball, in an e-mail to The Sudbury Star, denied the company was using the railroad to ship ore across the picket line.

"No ore is being moved by rail at this time," he wrote.

However, several picketers said they saw the train go through onto the property.

The company said it is continuing to monitor the situation at Frood-Stobie and Clarabelle Mill. It considers the halted trucks as "disrespecting the terms of the injunction protocol," Ball said.

"As these actions continue to affect our right to protect our business, we will be reviewing future options, which may include legal options, that are available to us to prevent these blockades from occurring," Ball p>The union, however, insisted ore is being moved. "We counted 48 cars," said John Landry, a union member. "I think this is a diversion so that the trains can go through."

Guards patrolled the perimetre outside the trucks. One driver, who would only give his first name Brian, said they can't leave their cabs for fear of union members. He said picketers have called him a scab using a megaphone.

"They've threatened to pull me out of the truck and kick the sh-t out of me," he said. "I was born here. I have as much right haul this ore ... I don't know how long I will be here."

Today, a rally at the Sudbury Community Arena will start at 11 a. m. in support of the Steelworkers. Michael Moore has also sent his film,Capitalism: A Love Story to Sudbury so that strikers and visiting dignitaries can enjoy a private screening at 5 p. m. at Silver City.

"He knew a lot about our issue," said Veinot about meeting Moore and accompanying him along with other Steelworkers to the screening of his new documentary at the Toronto Film Festival last weekend.

The Sudbury screening will be only the third time the film has been shown.

"We are proud and thankful to Michael Moore for providing such meaningful support for our members here in Sudbury," said Leo Gerard, international president of United Steelworkers, in a release. "Throughout his career, Michael has consistently called for social justice and fair treatment for working people."

John Fera, president of USW Local 6500, said this promises to be a great weekend for the union in Sudbury.

"We have our wonderful Sudbury community coming out to a rally to show us support. We have international leaders coming to show us that communities around the world support Sudbury. And, now we see that famous people who care about justice will lend their support," said Fera.

More than 3,000 members of Steelworkers Local 6500 have been on strike since July 13, after they rejected a Vale Inco contract offer that included demands for historic concessions from the unionized workers.

The ore shipments from Frood-Stobie to the Clarabelle Mill are part of Vale Inco's plan to resume partial production at some Sudbury operations.

The company said it is delivering ore to the mill so it can be used for testing and training purposes for staff and other employees working during the strike. Vale Inco also has said it intends to produce ore at its Garson Ramp and its Coleman Mine in Levack, with that ore to be processed at Clarabelle Mill.

Following last week's incident at the Frood-Stobie picket line, the Day Group issued a news release insisting it was not taking sides in the labour dispute. The company said it was simply fulfilling the obligations of a contract with Vale Inco, which include hauling ore for the mining company.

"Day Construction is not supplying any personnel or taking any work from any unionized Vale worker," the Day Group's news release stated.