The Canadian Labour Congress and the Ontario Federation of Labour are joining the United Steelworkers Union (USW) for a March 22, 2010, community rally in Sudbury, Ontario, to support more than 3,000 working families who are into the ninth month of their strike against Vale Inco.

The CLC, OFL and USW are organizing same–day bus trips to Sudbury for the “Bridging the Gap” solidarity rally (starts at 4:30 p.m. at the USW Union Hall, located at 66 Brady St. in Sudbury) and are encouraging other unions and groups to do the same. To organize a bus from your area, or to reserve a spot on a bus, please contact any of the individuals noted below and join the fight in Sudbury!

Ontario Federation of Labour

Laurie Hardwick
Desk: 416-443-7657
Cell: 416-571-3087
1-800-668-9138
lhardwick@ofl.ca

Canadian Labour Congress
Stephanie Levesque
647-248-8530
slevesque@clc-ctc.ca

United Steelworkers
Joe Da Costa
416-544-5999
jdacosta@usw.ca

The USW recently rejected a proposed contract by Vale Inco by almost 90 per cent of the 3100 striking workers. Vale, the Brazilian mining group that bought Inco in 1996, said that it is preparing to break a strike by hiring contract workers to cross picket lines at its flagship Canadian nickel and copper mine operation in Sudbury, Ontario, and a refinery near Niagara Falls. The announcement made last weekend provoked an angry response from United Steelworkers Union leaders.

Wayne Fraser, a union representative, was quoted in the Financial Times as saying, “Sudbury is a powder keg. We are really worried about what this means and so are the police. People will be uncontrollable. They won’t allow contractors to go in past the picket line.”

For more information on this strike, please refer to the following USW website: http://www.fairdealnow.ca/

To view the original rally poster, please click on the following link:

http://www.fairdealnow.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/3-22Sudbury-FINAL-s.pdf