Unions to Vale: You can run but you can't hide

Some 200 trade unionists from Canada and the USA held rolling protest actions in New York City calling on mining giant Vale to negotiate with the USW who represents 3,500 workers on strike since July.

USA: About 200 trade unionists converged on downtown New York City on December 3 to protest Vale CEO Roger Agnelli's receiving of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Global Citizenship Award. Other actions were taken at Goldman Sachs and Mitsui, a major Vale shareholder.

"The day started with a protest at the Goldman Sachs investors' conference where Vale was presenting and numerous people exiting the hotel told us that our chants were coming though loud and clear to the 5th floor meeting room," reported the United Steelworkers' Mike Zielinski.

"Next up was a demonstration at the offices of Mitsui, a major shareholder in Vale with a seat on the board of directors. They were compelled to send down their administrative manager to meet with us and get an earful about Vale's misconduct," Zielinski said.

Later that evening, outside the Waldorf Astoria, New York City's iconic luxury hotel where Agnelli was scheduled to receive the award, hundreds of union activists massed on Park Avenue across from the Waldorf's main entrance. The Grim Reaper swept past the efforts of the police to block its path and led a march of protesters right past the hotel entrance as the limos were rolling up and unloading. All up and down Park Avenue the chants were bouncing off the buildings: "Vale Says Cut Back/We say FIGHT BACK!" and "Roger, Roger/One Day Longer".

Inside the hotel, half a dozen people passed out flyers while two supporters, costumed as invited guests, infiltrated the dinner, one was wearing a tuxedo and the other an evening gown. They placed leaflets on the tables and told guests of Vale's mistreatment of its Canadian employees before they were discovered and police were called to escort them out.

The International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF), together with the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) are working with the United Steelworkers (USW) in a global campaign to prevent Brazilian mining giant Vale from eroding working conditions and denying basic labour rights at Vale operations worldwide.

More actions are scheduled to take place around the world until Vale returns to the bargaining table and agrees to a Fair Deal NOW.

For more information about the IMF's campaign, go to: www.imfmetal.org/Vale

Click here to send a message to Vale demanding a Fair Deal NOW for Canadian workers on strike.