Steelworkers union to file 'bad-faith' bargaining complaint against Vale Inco

TORONTO — The United Steelworkers union says it will file a bad-faith bargaining complaint against Vale Inco.

The union says it plans to filed the complaint at the Ontario Labour Relations Board in Toronto on Wednesday, as its strike against Vale Inco operations in Sudbury, Ont., and two other Canadian sites enters its seventh month.

United Steelworkers lawyer Brian Shell says the complaint will be based on the fact that provincial legislation requires employers and unions to make every reasonable effort to reach a collective agreement.

At a minimum, he says that means meeting with the opposing side for a full exploration of all issues and "together endeavouring to find an acceptable way forward."

John Fera, president of the Steelworkers union local in Sudbury, says Vale Inco's refusal to meet without pre-conditions shows it is not interested in any meaningful negotiations.

He accuses the Brazilian-based company of using its massive wealth to try to bring Canadian workers and communities to their knees.