Vale announced Tuesday that it was suspending operations at Sudbury, a Canadian nickel mine, after its offer of a five-year contract was rejected by the United Steelworkers union.
Local 6500, a union representing 2,600 miners at the mine, said in a statement that 70% of voters opposed Vale's proposal and wanted the union to return to the negotiating table.
The five-year contract gives workers a 4% raise over the next four years, plus $2,500 from the outbreak and a signing bonus of $3,500.
It was the first protest by union workers since a year-long strike ended in July 2010.
Vale said Union Local 6200, which represents workers at the Port Colborne smelter, approved of the proposed deal.
Sudbury will produce 43,200 tons of nickel in 2020 and 96,100 tons of refined nickel from the Canadian region.
PUDA mine concentrate packaging machine:
