Resume talks, Labrador leaders tell Inco, union

Community leaders in Labrador issued a call Wednesday to get Inco Ltd. and the United Steelworkers union back to the bargaining table.

The 117union memberswalked off the job at the Voisey's Bay nickel mine on July 28 after contract talks broke down with mine owner Inco Ltd.

The Combined Councils of Labrador, which represents 32 communities in Labrador, said Wednesday it is worried about how the strike willaffect small communities in the area.

Waylon Williams, executive director of the Combined Councils, said small towns in the region rely heavily on money that mine workers spend. Williams warned that the strike could be having a bigger impact on the region than people realize.

"A person could be buying less fuel, or they could be buying less groceries," said Williams.

"It goes on down the line, but in smaller communities, the dollar usually circulates in and around a community two, and three and four times before it's actually taken out of the community.

"We're concerned that this is going to have a serious implication in terms of loss of dollars to these communities."

Urges sides to talk

Williams said both sides must get back to the bargaining table to work on getting a deal. However, no further talks have been scheduled.

The union said earlier this week that it will hold out for the best agreement possible for its members— even if it means the strike continues for months.

The striking workers want, among other things, parity in pay and benefits with miners who work at the Incomine in Sudbury, Ont.

A union spokesman said mineworkers in Sudbury earn an hourly wage of at least $24, while their counterparts at Voisey's Bay make $19 an hour.