The first day of the mines safety review committee in Sudbury held Wednesday wrapped up with a suggestion from the United Steelworkers that the hearings hadn’t been publicized well enough.
The province is holding review sessions in mining communities across Ontario to look at the health and safety of workers in the mining sector.
In Sudbury, the first day of the talks heard mostly from organized labour representatives. Much of the discussions focused on the internal responsibility system — also called the “IRS”.
The system is supposed to hold everyone accountable — right up to the president — to report health and safety violations and to problem-solve to make workplaces safer.
However, a Steelworkers representative told the hearing the system breaks down when there’s a disagreement over whether something is safe or not.
Myles Sullivan said workers may also be nervous about reporting a safety issue for fear of reprisal, and added the system didn’t work in the deaths of two men in a run of muck at Vale’s Frood-Stobie mine in 2011.
Statement from Scott Lunny, USW Western Canada Director: This sudden election wasn’t on anyone’s radar. At dinner tables across the province, families are asking themselves why we’re voting again. It’s a fair question. But the question at the ballot box won’t be about David Eby’s approval ratings or whether the Conservatives are too chaotic. It […]
BURNABY, B.C. – The United Steelworkers union (USW) welcomes David Eby and the BC NDP’s plan to double B.C.’s critical mineral exports by expanding the port of Prince Rupert and creating more family supporting jobs by processing minerals here at home. “The world needs the minerals B.C. produces and Steelworkers know what it takes to […]
The USW encourages all Steelworkers to attend events held nationwide, learn more about past injustices and commit to combatting injustices that last into the present.