Da Prat calls Rowswell's letter 'appalling'

United Steelworkers Local 2251 President Mike Da Prat (shown) has written the "open letter" below in response to Sault Mayor John Rowswell's letter regarding the Val Inco strike in Sudbury and other Ontario communities.

To view a response to Rowswell's letter from the president of United Steelworkers Local 6500 in Sudbury, click here.

************************* November 3, 2009

Tito Martins President & CEO Vale Inco 200 Bay Street Royal Bank Plaza Suite 1600, South Tower P.O. Box 70 Toronto, ON M5J 2K2

John Fera, President United Steelworkers Local 6500 128 Pine Street, Suite 202 Sudbury, ON, P3C1X3

Wayne Fraser Director - District 6 Ontario and Atlantic Canada 200 Ronson Drive, Suite 300 Etobicoke, ON, M5W 5Z0

Open letter in response to Mayor John Rowswell's open letter.

This open letter is in response to Sault Mayor John Rowswell's open letter to Vale Inco and the United Steelworkers union.

I find it appalling that a mayor of a city with a large population of steelworkers makes the comments that he did.

It is not the Union that is at fault, yet Mayor Rowswell in true management fashion, chooses to pontificate, and blame both sides equally.

An appropriate position for Mr. Rowswell to take would be to appeal to Vale Inco to be reasonable and be a good Canadian corporate citizen.

It is particularly noteworthy that the union is not bringing in the strike breakers. The union is not setting union brother in competition with other union brothers by forcing office workers to work underground, and the union is certainly not creating the hardship to the whole community of Sudbury, the retirees and the members of Steelworkers Local 6500, yet Mayor Rowswell lectures both.

Mayor Rowswell would do well to remember he represents the citizens of Sault Ste. Marie. To that end, he does not have the unmitigated right to lecture at his whim to anyone. In point of fact, if one looks at his history I could easily lecture him on diplomacy and professionalism.

Both Mayor Rowswell and Mayor Rodriquez would do well to remember that workers not multinational companies drive the economies of communities. While the multinationals provide the jobs, making a profit, it is the workers that invest their wages and life savings to drive the economies of the communities they live in.

In closing, the members of United Steelworkers Local Union 2251 are fully supportive of our brothers and sisters in their struggle in Sudbury and say shame to Mayor Rowswell for not having the courage to tell Vale Inco to get back to the table and negotiate reasonably.

Michael Da Prat, President United Stelworkers Local 2251

cc. Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry Canada Honourable Peter Fonseca, Ontario Minister of Labour Mayor John Rodriguez, City of Greater Sudbury

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