Mixed feelings on the picket line as IOC workers head to vote on latest offer

Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) workers in Labrador City are voting Tuesday on whether they will accept the company's latest offer and head back to work or whether they will reject it and stay on the picket line.

"Some people are in favour, some people are not in favour," IOC electrician Tony Walsh said. "Each person has to go home, talk to their spouses, talk to their family members and make a decision that's right for them."

Workers walked out March 27 after more than 90 per cent voted in favour of striking, saying the latest IOC offer would implement a two-tier pension, increase the retirement age and make unwanted changes to sick leave. 

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The union's negotiating team sat down with company representatives over the weekend and hammered out a deal which the union has now recommended to its membership.

This latest deal met the union's demand that the company stop using a temporary work force.

But on other issues like pensions and medical benefits, the union says small gains were made.

"The town couldn't survive having a temporary workforce, so what we have now is a permanent work force going in working on a normal basis. So that's good for us, it's good for the community," Walsh said.

"What happens next is what kind of benefits were tossed in there. And while there were some increases, there weren't a whole lot of increases."

Not enough

While the offer may meet the threshold for some workers to accept the offer, others weren't impressed.

"Reject," chanted a crowd near the Labrador City rail yard. 

"Our company and union should get back together and give us something that really makes sense," IOC worker Glenn Blake said.

Though the temporary work force would be gone, the probationary period for new hires would be increased from 45 to 90 days.

Some say that would continue what they call a two-tier system, allowing the company to hire people for a few months and then lay them off, just like temporary workers.

"I think the sticking point would be the temps, but they just reworded it," Blake said. 

"If it's up to me, we'll be out longer."