SUDBURY, Ont. – Members of the United Steelworkers (USW) Local 2020-05 have ratified a new four-year collective agreement with Vale, one of the world’s largest multinational mining companies and a major employer in Sudbury.
The contract, which runs until Oct. 26, 2029, delivers a five-per-cent wage increase in the first year, followed by three-per-cent increases in each of the next three years. Members will also receive a $3,500 signing bonus within four weeks of ratification.
The agreement includes significant pension gains, stronger health and safety provisions, and new protections for fairness in the workplace. It recognizes the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a statutory holiday, boosts shift premiums and meal allowances and strengthens job posting and vacation rights.
“This agreement reflects the power of solidarity and the determination of our members to win real improvements,” said Kevon Stewart, USW District 6 Director. “From wages and pensions to health and safety protections, Steelworkers are stronger together.”
“This deal lays a strong foundation for the future,” said Pascal Boucher, USW Area Co-ordinator. “With unprecedented wage increases, stronger protections and respect from Vale that our members have long deserved, this agreement ensures stability today while breaking new ground for the negotiations to come.”
Local 2020-05 President Sherri Hawkes said the success at the table was the result of strong planning, member engagement and solidarity throughout the process. “We put in a year of preparation, from engaging new members to launching surveys and communications campaigns, and that groundwork paid off. Our members stood together, showed their strength and ensured we achieved a contract that delivers real gains and sets a foundation for the future.”
About the United Steelworkers union
The USW represents 225,000 members in nearly every economic sector across Canada and is the largest private-sector union in North America, with 850,000 members in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean.
Each year, thousands of workers choose to join the USW because of the union’s strong track record in creating healthier, safer and more respectful workplaces and negotiating better working conditions and fairer compensation – including good wages, benefits and pensions.
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