Vale firing of worker 'excessive,' arbitrator rules

One of the Vale miners fired during the year-long strike in Sudbury is going back to work.

An arbitrator has ruled the mining company was excessive when it fired Mike Courchesne in August 2009.

Steelworkers union lawyer Brian Shell said Courchesne was fired for misconduct on the picketline during the unions year-long strike, as he was drinking alcohol and making inappropriate comments.

"There's no doubt that he messed up," Shell said. "But just messing up at work does not justify discharge."

Shell said Courchesne is currently working as a miner in Timmins, but is looking forward to coming back to Sudbury.

If he passes a physical exam, Mike Courchesne will go back to work in the Sudbury mines for the first time in three years.

Similar decisions expected on other cases

There are 5 other Vale workers fired during the strike who are currently pleading their case to an arbitrator.

Shell said he expects a similar decision for two other fired workers.

"They're both very similar to the kinds of allegations Mr. Courchesne had to face," he said. "And we're expecting very similar results once all the evidence is in."

Those two firings are currently before an arbitrator as are the cases of three Vale employees who were fired for confronting a co-worker near his Sudbury home, which saw one of them convicted of assault.