What's News in Negotiations
Vale response to Toronto Star story
June 17, 2010The following Letter to the Editor was delivered to the Toronto Star by Jennifer Hooper, Vice President of Sustainability, Nickel, Vale Limited .
June 9, 2010
Letter To The Editor – Toronto Star
Re: Inside Sudbury’s bitter Vale strike, June 6
While the above article paints a stark picture of the pioneering spirit associated with early mining, it fails to acknowledge the modern, safe and high-tech mining industry Canadians enjoy today.
Suggesting that employees and companies willingly “trade-off” employee health and safety for generous pay and benefits does a disservice to every man and woman who has chosen mining as a career.
Safety in the mining industry is paramount. At Vale, our goal is “zero harm” and we are making significant strides in reaching it. For an unprecedented four consecutive years, Vale mines have captured the John T. Ryan trophy, emblematic of the safest metal mine in Canada. It’s an honour earned precisely because employees and employer were unwilling to “trade-off” safety for anything.
The medical surveillance program, referenced somewhat ominously in the article, exists for the very reason of ensuring employee health and safety against risks inherent in any number of industrial settings.
On the environmental front, we have spent more than one billion dollars reducing emissions by more than 90 per cent – and millions more partnering with the community, the colleges and university, and our industrial colleagues in reclaiming the landscape, a process that has garnered Sudbury international recognition and acclaim. Those efforts continue today with significant efforts underway on further emission reductions, environmental improvements and biodiversity recovery.
We are proud of our industry and of the Sudbury community where we operate. Thank you for providing us an opportunity to set the record straight.
Jennifer Hooper
Vice-President,
Sustainability
Vale