Foreign takeovers bad for Sudbury

Posted By

Posted 6 days ago

Three years ago, you could have asked everybody in Sudbury about Brazil and its people, and you likely would have got an overwhelming positive response.

But how the tides have turned. With the recent events happening at Vale Inco, the majority of the people I've spoken to, especially the ones

directly involved with the current situation, have had some nasty things to say.

Most are blaming the Brazilians themselves, but most of the blame should be pointed at our three levels of government. Just like any other situation, they are putting other countries' interests before their own. The fact that they let these companies come in and bring their own local workers in should never be allowed.

Not only are the workers in Sudbury getting the shaft, but so are the city, and the North in general.

All that money beneath our city and we hardly see a penny of it. The profits end up in Switzerland (Xstrata), and Brazil (Vale Inco), and the taxes end up in either Ottawa, or Toronto, never to get spent on Sudbury, or the North.

Scott Barry Dowling

Nickel is a strategic mineral and we never should have allowed it to be controlled by foreigners.

The latest news out of the bargaining table is not good. Simply put, the Brazilians want concessions on Pensions, Nickel Bonus and contract language. The union has a long history of not accepting concessions of any form.

The Brazilians spent money to increase production at Thompson Manitoba and signed a contract with the union in the fall of 2008. This was all in preparation for the negotiations in Sudbury.

Inco Sudbury president Fred Stanford was dismissed recently as the last hold out from the old guard. Now the Brazilians are firmly in control.

It is looking like a very long winter for local 6500 USWA.

SN