WABUSH, N.L. — A message on the morning of May 22, at the end of the eighth week of a strike by steelworkers against the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC), brought welcomed news.
In a short Facebook post Ron Thomas, the president of Local 5795 of the United Steelworkers, indicated there was a chance the dispute could be resolved.
The message said:
“Brothers and Sisters, we have been contacted by the company, and your negotiating committee is working on a new offer.”
Yours in Solidarity
Ron.
No other details were released.
Related:
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Almost 200 hourly IOC workers laid off in Sept-Iles
The Aurora contacted Heather Bruce-Veitch, IOC’S director of communications and external relations for a comment.
“Discussions have resumed with the USW locals on specific key priorities, no other information is available,” was the company’s official response.
Within minutes of the Facebook post, phones were ringing, texts were being exchanged and the news was the only thing people were talking about.
The Aurora met with some people as the news was spreading.
“Today’s news couldn't have come at a better time for me,” Allan Pilgrim, a member of Local 5795, told the Aurora.
“It hasn’t been easy for the past two months, and I was just looking at leaving and looking for work to help tide me over. There are mortgage payments, and vehicle payments and the expense of running a household, some people have already left.
“Hopefully both sides will be able to reach an agreement that is good for all concerned,” he said, noting the town has been affected as many people in the service and supply industries have been laid off and local businesses have been hurting.
“In a town when the main employer is faced with a strike, everybody is affected. Now at least there is a chance that this will end soon.”
Anna Bain agreed that the May 22 news gives hope that this dispute will soon be resolved.
“I don't work at IOC but my job was related to contractors who worked at IOC. Many people in the secondary industries were laid off so, like many others, I was eventually laid off temporarily. Hopefully things will return to normal if this gets resolved quickly, and most people today are hoping it will.”
Beatrice Whittle, a long-time resident of Labrador City, simply told the Aurora, “It’s good to hear the news that there is a new effort to resolve this dispute. Everybody is optimistic it will end, and the town will return to normal.”
For Marc Dupre, who is looking for work, the news from Ron Thomas was welcomed.
“I’ve been looking for work, meeting with employers, but unfortunately they have not been hiring because of the current labour situation,” he said. “Now I’m hoping this will be resolved and companies will be hiring again.”
Donna Dumaresque also welcomes the news that both sides are getting back to talks.
“People were starting to get worried, when will this end?” she said. “I work in retail and like many retailers, business was getting slower and slower. It was a worry for storeowners, and it was a big worry for people in town, I think today’s news will relieve a lot of worry; people are really hoping that both sides will find a resolve that will work for everyone.”
Summer is typically a busy season for the mining industry. People are hoping things will be resolved and work will get back to normal as soon as possible.
As The Aurora went to print last week, there was little other information except that both sides are back to talks.
The Aurora will follow the developments and provide updates as information is available.
