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 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 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 union says its reason for posting the photos is so its members can communicate with non-striking members, and encouraging them to join the picket lines.
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 of photo is of 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 just criminal harassment.
After the 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.
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-beneift.
This will be very interesting to watch … who will win?
Regardless of ‘the winner’ its obvious the cost structure and accountabilities at Sudbury must improve.