Members of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 6500 have ratified a new collective agreement with Vale (NYSE: VALE) that delivers significant wage increases, enhanced workplace protections and improved benefits and for workers and their families.

The agreement includes a C$4,000 ratification bonus and guaranteed wage increases ranging from 20.5% to 25.7% over the life of the agreement, reflecting both negotiated increases and annual cost-of-living adjustments. Members also secured paid sick days, a new health-care spending account and significant improvements to pensions, vision care, orthodontic coverage and short-term disability benefits.

“I have been involved with Local 6500 for 25 years, and I have never seen gains like these,” Pascal Boucher, USW District 6 Area Co-ordinator for Sudbury said in a news release. “Wage increases of more than 20% are unprecedented for this local. We raised the bar by introducing paid sick days and achieved these gains without a single concession. This agreement is a testament to the strength, solidarity and determination of our membership.”

Skilled trades workers secured significant wage progression improvements, while pension enhancements and benefits increases will provide additional security for current and future retirees.

“This agreement delivers historic gains for our members, including significant wage increases, improvements to benefits and important language changes addressing issues such as contracting out, technological change and shift scheduling,” said Ray Hammond, USW Local 6500 president. 

The new collective agreement provides stability and certainty for workers and their families during a period of economic upheaval while strengthening good union jobs in Northern Ontario’s mining sector.”

The ratification of this agreement represents one of the most significant bargaining achievements in the history of Local 6500.