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Vale, Steelworkers to negotiate with help from facilitator

The strike by some 2,500 union members now entering its seventh week
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Vale and United Steelworkers Local 6500 are poised to return to the bargaining table, this time with a third-party facilitator.

The facilitator was jointly selected by Vale and USW to assist in negotiations, said Vale in an email statement.

“Over the past few days, Vale and the United Steelworkers (USW) Local 6500 bargaining committees have been exploring a path forward to the resumption of negotiation,” said Vale spokesperson Danica Pagnutti. “On that front, we will be returning to the negotiation table on July 19 and utilizing a third-party facilitator. We remain hopeful that this is a positive step towards securing a collective agreement and we will keep you informed of any further developments.”

Around 2,500 members of the USW walked off the job on June 1 to “protect health benefits and proper compensation during good times,” according to the union.

The strike is now entering its seventh week.