Wildcat strike enters 3rd day at Vale nickel plant

Disgruntled crane operators at the Vale nickle plant construction site in Long Harbour have entered into the third day of a wildcat strike.

They went off the job on Thursday, putting almost 2,000 trades people at a standstill for the day.

On Friday, more than 100 crane operators were standing at the turnoff from the Trans-Canada Highway to the Long Harbour access road.

An injunction granted to the company late Thursday restricts workers from obstructing people going to the Vale site.

Iron workers have joined the crane operators to show their support. The crane operators are stressing they are in this for the long haul — as long as it takes to have their concerns addressed.

Workers are upset with wages and how the company is interpreting the collective agreement on issues such as travel and living allowances.

Vale has stressed that it has a collective agreement signed by 16 separate unions, including the one that represents crane operators. And the site is operating under a special project order, a provincial law ensuring no strikes and no lock-outs.