Union upset by deaths at mine in Canada

Mining giant Vale stopped work at five mines in Ontario Monday after the death of a fourth miner in seven months at its Canadian operations, officials said. Kelly Strong, vice president of mining and milling for Vale's North Atlantic operations, said officials of the Brazilian multinational corporation were working on developing an action plan before reopening the mines. The death of a 47-year-old miner with 16 years of experience at the underground copper-nickel Coleman Mine at Levack near Sudbury was "unacceptable," the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. quoted a union leader as saying. "It's a really difficult … . I'm very angry," Rick Bertand, president of the steelworkers union in Sudbury, said. "And the reason for that is … four fatalities in seven months is unacceptable -- three in Sudbury, one in Thompson [Manitoba]." Labor Ministry spokesman Matt Blaier said the miner, whose name had not been released, was "loading the face of the rock with explosives, from a man-basket, when the incident occurred." The CBC reported Vale officials said the worker died when ore from a heading came loose. "We are saddened and devastated by the loss of this employee," Postmedia News quote Strong as saying. "Our deepest sympathies and prayers go out to the employee's family, and everyone who knew and worked with him. Our efforts are now focused on supporting the family and our employees at the mine site, and on understanding exactly what occurred."