Rio Tintos Steel workers strike analysis, Sept-Isle Quebec 2004

It All started on June 28th when the united steelworker's representatives left the negotiation table after three days of agonizing discussions. The right to vote was valid upon June 29th 2004, but the strike actually only started on July 19th, 2004. The Labrador City and Sept-Iles mines summed up to a grand total 1400, where 280 are united workers from Sept-Iles and close to a thousand work at the Labrador City mine. The final offer presented to the board …

…mines unfortunately cannot be moved and while the skilled labour can be trained to others in different parts of the world it can be very expensive. Also if Rio Tinto had just told the employees to get lost they may have found it near to impossible to find more workers in areas as remote as Sept-Iles and Labrador city. Basically it was worth finally giving in to the union for some of what they wanted.