Vale (VALE-N) subsidiary Vale Inco is suing striking members of the United Steelworkers Local 6500 in Sudbury, Ont., for $1 million over content posted on the Internet that’s allegedly encouraging violence against workers crossing the picket lines.
About 3,000 union members have been on strike since last July and, according to the statement of claim filed in the Ontario Superior Court, the aggression started to heat up around November.
“Masked picketers have engaged in criminal conduct, including an assault on a Vale Inco employee and the sabotage of Vale Inco property,” the statement of claim said.
Vale Inco says that two Internet sites — the union’s website and a Facebook group called “Strikeforce 6500” — display photos and personal information about Vale Inco employees who are still working. The company says these sites are providing union members with this information so that union members can harass, intimidate, threaten and commit criminal and tortuous acts against Vale Inco employees, contractors and security personnel. The lawsuit names 25 people specifically.
The union says its reason for posting the photos is so its members can communicate with nonstriking members, and encouraging them to join the picket lines. According to the website, eight people have quit working after having their photos posted online.
The Facebook group is no longer open to the public but on the union’s website there is an entire section dedicated to posting photos with links such as “Enter here to get the latest pictures of SCABS.”
In this section, the top photo is of a Vale Inco employee with the word “SCAB” superimposed on his shirt.
According to the statement of claim, this man’s vehicle was vandalized with spray paint, his photo was posted all over his apartment building lobby identifying him as a “SCAB”, and he was attacked while out for a jog in January.
Three striking Steelworkers, have been charged; one with criminal harassment and assault, and the other two with criminal harassment.
After the alleged assault, altered photos of the man were posted on the union website and the Facebook page that included scars, cutting weapons in his torso and arms, and his throat slit. The words “Who’s Next” was added to his shirt.
Others singled out on the website have reported threatening phone calls and having their homes and vehicles vandalized.
None of the allegations in the lawsuit have been proven in court.
As the lawsuit was filed, the two sides were meeting with a newly appointed mediator in hope of finally bringing an end to the strike.
The union is fighting Vale’s proposal to reduce a bonus tied to the price of nickel and to change pensions for new employees to defined- contribution instead of defined- benefit.
About 1,200 non-striking workers and contract employees are now working at Vale Inco’s Sudbury operations. The company has restarted the Sudbury mill and smelter. It’s also operating portions of the Coleman mine and Garson mine and working to resume full production at Coleman and its Creighton mine.
Be the first to comment on "Vale Inco Sues Striking Workers"