December 21 2018

Page 1

Nickel Belt News Volume Volume 58 58 Number • Issue 5111

Friday, March 16, Friday, December 21,2018 2018

Thompson, Manitoba Thompson, Manitoba

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Book a way to with preserve and400 pass on Vale ends 2018 roughly fewer Thompson of employees year ago memories growingthan up inaChurchill employees affected by mining operations outside the adjustment as we of Thompson. Now that Alistair Ross Vale Manitoba Oper- fully transition to [a] ations has lost about a mining and milling-only is stepping down from his position as director third of its workforce operation.” Despite fewer layoffs of North Atlantic minsince December of last year, with about 60 per than had been anticipated, ing operations after five cent of those job cuts re- United Steelworkers Lo- months on the job, Luky sulting from reductions cal 6166 president War- said they will be negotiatat the end of 2017 and ren Luky said 2018 was ing with an new group of 127 layoffs July 31 due an extremely challenging company leaders in 2019. In December’s USW to the smelter and refinery year for the union, whose shutting down operations ranks have been whittled Local 6166 newsletter, down to around 600 Luky said a good expermanently. ample of the disconnect In a Dec. 17 email to the members. “The layoff numbers … between the needs of the Nickel Belt News, Vale’s manager of corporate and are not a true reflection community and the comIndigenous affairs for On- on our job losses as these pany’s bottom line is how tario and Manitoba Ryan numbers fluctuate almost Vale keeps an “unacceptLand confirmed that the every day,” he wrote in able” number of contract company’s Thompson the union’s December workers on site at a time employee headcount newsletter. “This dras- when union members are – including unionized tic reduction is a shock struggling. “While we can all rehourly workers and staff to many of our members – is now 870. This is and to our community spect people working 430 fewer than the 1,300 as a whole, making our to feed their families, workers Vale had on their union’s strength and soli- contractors do not pay payroll in Thompson in darity all the more neces- taxes to our community, or contribute to our local December 2017. About sary now.” Luky said Dec. 11 that economy by simply eat120 unionized workers lost their jobs at the end these numbers also fail to ing at our restaurants,” of 2017 as a result of the reflect the experienced, he wrote. “This model is Birchtree Mine being put senior miners who won’t not a sustainable or robust on care and maintenance be leading the workforce plan for our town or our workers.” a couple of months ear- into 2019. “They took early reLooking ahead to 2019, lier. Apart from about 250 layoffs in the past tirement packages,” he Luky anticipates that 12 months, another 180 said. “The anomaly is another small round of Thompson positions have not unusual across West- workers could be let go been cut as a result of ern Canada, to have the once they wrap up asset people taking early retire- baby boomers leaving the recovery operations at the ment, resigning and from workplace … but in the refinery. Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham Otherwise, he encourthe elimination of non- mining industry, where a Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. unionized staff positions. lot of it is a knowledge- ages his fellow Steelbased specialized, it’s ‘Oh, workers to as stay in was not a very safe thing swallow when people say layoffs that to BYForty-eight IAN GRAHAM For all the harsh weather writeand things that you have I’m just bad,safe right?’ be It’s a very had been planned for Dec. going EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET I have all these stories and to do but I jumped at it. I that Churchill residents and the dangers of polar to figuretoout. prettyinterclear 2019. challenge “We’ll work very 31Though were rescinded, Land esting she’s now written when I get through.”going I need to capture themhard for thought that was exciting should just find somewhere bears, deMeulles said if it into the New Year.” with the company to until the plane landed and easier to live. said. a book about her experienDeMeulles said she wrote my grandchildren really had been viable she would also Whispers said that everybody to up ongoing at- herLuky ces“Due growing in Churchill, book, titled in make becausesure they will be lost if they started throwing the “To say, ‘Those people have moved back to Churchrecent management home at the end of fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. trition andFoundation anticipated Addictions of Vale’s the Wind: Stories from the goes I don’t.” restructuring is making the day safe,” said on cats, I was probably sitting should just leave,’ is quite demand for a mining Manitoba northern director North - Life in Churchill for She also has ahe reputation “I miss the shoreline, I it couple harderoffor the union to as Dec. 11. “That’s our first on a bomb.’” workforce in Thompson, Gisele deMeulles said writ- a reasons. a storyteller herself. simplistic. It’s quite disre- miss the rock, I miss the on and primary objective Vale made the decisionshe to successfully ing wasn’t something “I just sortadvocate of thought, “I had such a varied hisAnother thing that spectful. If we were in the polar bears even though Nickel Belt News file photo behalf of its members, and then we’ll be people at the spurred her on was the same boat in another area they’re retain the hourly employalways thought she would you know what, this his- tory and I would tell very dangerous and Vale Manitoba Operations has about 400 fewer employees now than at the same time last sincethis local managers bargaining tablewould with the ees that would have been tory, do. stuff that’s inlike my stories and they go, hard times facing Churchill I think we would scream I really miss the Hudson year, with 127 of those workersabout having lostsotheir laidshe off when smelter, Scott have re- company which affected Dec. I31,” he Mark “In myonyouth never ‘That’s not also, true, is it?’ I’dwill go, since that whyjobs don’tfrom theybeing Bay,” says. the “When I go head, it’s going tobeen be gone the Hudson Bay Railplaced by higher-ups that be one of the other bigger wrote. “We do still have seen here during the last-ever tours Oct. 3, and refinery closed down in July. felt good at writing,” she if I don’t write it down,” she ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, way suspended operations have the option to do that? back home, standing on the for challenges.” a small number staff are said. “But when Iofmoved ‘You didn’t do all that, did north of Gillam last spring. I think right now they’re Hudson Bay looking out on said.also “My responsible kids are not goBY KYLE DARBYSON

KYLE@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET

to Thompson to get into the school of social work, at that point I had to write for university and realized, ‘Holy, I’m not bad at this, right?’ I certainly developed a lot of skill in university and came out of there with a very strong skill in my writing and confidence in my writing. I write very clear and that’s it. It’s there. Some people say it’s kind of blunt or direct. I don’t tend

ing to get it if I don’t do it you? You’ve got to be really “It used to be a really feeling like they’re pawns the bay, it just gives you an and it’s something I’ve al- old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually thriving large community in a political game and that’s incredible sense. You feel so ways wanted my mom to I did all that before I was and it’s just dwindled down really sad for them because I small and you feel great.” do. My mom’s an elder and 27,’ and they went ‘What?’” to such a small population think the people of ChurchNow that she’s got she’s an artist, she’s got so Looking back, some of now,” deMeulles says. ill really want to thrive. one book under her belt, many wonderful stories be- those experiences are things Though she’s not there They’ve built their worlds deMeulles says she may try cause she always tells her she might not do again. any longer, her parents and there. How would we feel to produce another. stories at Parks Canada in someone came to you and “ITAKOUT, have another book in DELIVERY, DINE-IN 10”“I did some pretty bizarre 12” her sister and other 14” family ifsaid, 16” Churchill and I’ve always stuff like fuel hauls into the members still are. ‘I’m sorry, you have to me,” she says. “It’s a darker hounded her, ‘Please, just high Arctic at -35,” said “My cousin owns the leave your home community story, more about personTOPPINGS put it on tape, I will write it Salami, deMeulles. didn’t dawn hardware there,” she Tandoori and we’re going to displace al growth and struggles. Pepperoni, Ham, Donair“It Meat, Italian Sausage, Bacon, store Beef, BBQ Chicken, Chicken PUBLIC for you because your story on me until after. That was a says. you somewhere else and all 1Maybe inROAD the next five years Mushrooms, Onions, Green Peppers, Cooked Tomatoes, Fresh Tomatoes, Pineapple, OPEN UNTIL 11 PMI’ll focus on is going to be lost,’ and she’s very dangerous thing to do. Because of that, your loved ones and your it’s something Black Olives, Green Olives, Jalapeno Peppers, Hot Peppers, Feta Cheese (1 AM FRI-SAT, 12 AM SUNDAY) never done it and I thought, Being on a plane full of fuel deMeulles finds it hard to history is gone?’” doing.”

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