SUDBURY, Ont. – “Despite record profits over the last decade, greedy corporations, like Vale-Inco, are using the global financial meltdown as the excuse to extract wage, pension, and benefit concessions from workers. That's why it's imperative that all workers— unionized or not—lend their support and stand in unity with the 3,000 plus members of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 6500 who are on strike to defend wages and working conditions for all of us,” says Sid Ryan, the President of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario.

At 3:15 p.m. today, (October 26, 2009), Ryan will be walking the Local 6500 Copper Cliff smelter picket line.

Global companies, like Vale, are using a divide-and-conquer strategy intended to fuel envy between low-waged, no benefits, workers and unionized workers with good jobs and working conditions, says Ryan. “There is tremendous push by global business interests to turn back the clock on gains workers have made. CUPE members, who were on strike in Toronto and Windsor this summer, faced similar concessionary pressures from their employers. “Both public sector and private sector unionized workers are being treated the same callous way. That's why the labour movement in Ontario must unify and stand together,” says Ryan.

Where: Local 6500 Copper Cliff smelter picket line

When: Monday, October 26, 2009 at 3:15 p.m.

What: Sid Ryan, President, CUPE Ontario walks the Local 6500 picket line

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For more information, please contact:

Sid Ryan President, CUPE Ontario (416) 209-0066 (cell)

CUPE Ontario 305 Milner Ave. Suite 801 Scarborough ON 416-299-9739

CUPE - Ontario

CUPE's Ryan walks picket line with striking Steelworkers (Local 6500)