Agreement improves wages, benefits, pensions
The United Steelworkers (USW) Locals 6500 and 6200 recently voted to accept a new collective agreement with Vale.
The agreement — which covers production and maintenance employees in Sudbury and Port Colborne — will take effect on June 1. The current collective agreement will expire on May 31.
The five-year agreement includes improvements to wages, benefits and pensions. The deal also contains improvements to contract language.
According to the employer, 76.7 per cent of members in Sudbury and 87 per cent of members in Port Colborne voted in favour of the new deal.
“We are extremely pleased with the outcome,” said Vale’s lead negotiator Mitch Medina. “A new five-year agreement, delivered a month before the old contract expires, points to a maturing in our labour relations. By the time the new contract expires in 2020 we will have enjoyed an unprecedented full decade of labour peace.”
