Vale

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

The mood was sombre Friday at sunrise as dozens of Steelworkers walked from the parking lot at Vale’s Stobie Mine to the tunnel connecting them to work.

If the deaths of colleagues Jason Chenier and Jordan Fram weren’t already on their minds, a collage of photographs of the two men at the entrance to the tunnel reminded them this was a painful anniversary.

Chenier, 35, and Fram, 26, entered that same tunnel the afternoon of June 8, 2011. A few hours into their shift, the men were killed when they were overcome by a run of 350 tons of muck at the mine’s 3,000-foot level. Members of United Steelworkers Local 6500, the union to which the men belonged, were there Friday to mark the one-year anniversary of their deaths.

Union executives and activists attended all of Vale’s mines and surface plants early Friday morning, asking members to sign postcards urging the Ontario Ministry of Labour to commission an inquiry into mine safety.

Read more

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

Greater Sudbury Council has unanimously endorsed a motion calling on Labour Minister Linda Jeffrey to commission an inquiry into the state of mining in Ontario and the ministry’s enforcement of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

The May 29 motion has been forwarded to Jeffrey, two local MPPs and the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities, which will be asked to support it. The motion was presented by Ward 3 Coun. Claude Berthiaume at the request of United Steelworkers Local 6500. It has been calling for the inquiry since it concluded its investigation into the deaths of two men June 8, 2011, at Vale Ltd.’s Stobie Mine.

One year ago today, Jason Chenier, 35, and Jordan Fram, 26, were killed by a run of muck while working on the 3,000-foot level near the No. 7 ore pass at Stobie. The call for an inquiry was part of a 200-plus-page report the union made public in late February, which contained 162 recommendations.

On the Day of Mourning, commemorated by Local 6500 on April 28, Gerry Lougheed Jr. launched a postcard campaign calling on Jeffrey to launch the mining probe.

Read more

  The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

Nothing will ease the suffering of two families who will mark the painful first anniversary of the deaths of loved ones in a mining accident on Friday. But an inquiry into mining practices in Ontario might provide comfort to those left to mourn for Jason Chenier, 35, and Jordan Fram, 26.

Chenier and Fram were killed when 350 tons of muck overcame them on the 3,000- foot level of Vale Ltd.’s Stobie Mine on June 8, 2011. After a nearly year-long investigation, the Ministry of Labour laid nine charges last week against Vale and six against one of its supervisors under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Results of a Greater Sudbury Police Service investigation are in the hands of officials in the Crown attorney office in Sudbury and there is a possibility criminal charges could be laid.

But thousands of citizens in Sudbury and beyond are pressing for an inquiry that would prevent mining deaths from occurring in the first place.

Read more

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

First they were the Fired Nine, then one of them retired at the end of a year-long strike by United Steelworkers Local 6500 against Vale Ltd. Then they were the Fired Eight, and arbitration dates were set for eight Steelworkers fired by Vale during the July 2009-July 2010 labour dispute.

Now, arbitrations are only being held for seven Steelworkers after one of them took a job in Red Lake and decided not to proceed with arbitration. Individual arbitrators, agreed upon by USW Local 6500 and Vale, are hearing the cases of the seven fired workers. But the matters are proceeding slowly through the process, said local president Rick Bertrand.

The arbitrations are being heard in the order in which the men were fired for what Vale says was improper behaviour on picket lines or in the community during the acrimonious labour dispute.

Ron Breault’s case was heard April 25 and 26, but couldn’t be concluded, so another day has been set aside for Sept. 6. Mike Courchesne’s dismissal was the subject of two days of arbitration, May 1 and 2, but the case couldn’t be concluded so a third day is scheduled for June 25.

Read more

 The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

Greater Sudbury Police Service has completed its investigation into the June 8, 2011, deaths of two men at Vale’s Stobie Mine, and the results are in the hands of officials with the Crown attorney’s office in Sudbury.

At this point, no determination has been made on whether criminal charges will be laid in the deaths of Jason Chenier, 35, and Jordan Fram, 26, said Greater Sudbury deputy police chief Al Lekun.

Police conducted a joint investigation with the Ontario Ministry of Labour, which this week announced nine charges against Vale and six against one of its supervisors under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. First appearances on those provincial charges are set for Aug. 14.

Lekun said police conducted a coroner’s investigation, which is mandatory in workplace deaths such as these. Chenier and Fram were overcome by a run or 350 tons of muck while working at the 3,000- foot level of Stobie Mine.

Read more

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

United Steelworkers Local 6500 won’t wait years to improve mine safety while charges laid under the Occupational Health and Safety Act against Vale and one of its employees are heard in court and a mandatory inquest is held into the deaths of two members.

The union is continuing its campaign to convince the Ontario Ministry of Labour to call a public inquiry into the June 8, 2011, deaths of Jason Chenier and Jordan Fram — and into mine safety, generally, in Ontario.

Nine charges laid Thursday against Vale and six against a supervisor fall short of the “urgent, comprehensive action” needed to prevent more mine deaths in Ontario, says USW Local 6500 President Rick Bertrand.

“We can’t stop here,” Bertrand said. “We have to continue to push to get this public inquiry … let’s get some answers about why people are getting killed underground.”

Bertrand and his union have been in contact with the Fram and Chenier families and they support the call for an inquiry, said Bertrand.

Read more

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

Company, employee allegedly failed to take precautions in deaths of two workers

The Ontario Ministry of Labour laid nine charges against Vale Ltd. and six against one of its employees Thursday in the June 8, 2011, deaths of two miners.

Jason Chenier, 35, and Jordan Fram, 26, died when they were overcome by a run of muck from the No. 7 ore pass of Stobie Mine, while working at the 3,000-foot level of the 112- year-old mine.

The ministry had one year to complete its investigation and lay charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. It did so eight days before the deadline — and the first-year anniversary of the fatal accident.

Among the charges, the ministry alleges Vale failed to take reasonable precautions to prevent the movement of material through an ore pass while haza rd o u s conditions existed, failed to ensure a transfer gate to an ore pass could be operated and monitored from a safe distance, failed to maintain drain holes at the 2,400 level of the mine, and failed to ensure water, slime and other wet material wasn’t dumped in the No. 7 ore pass at the 3,000-foot level where the men were working.

Read more