Vale's Cancellation of Investor Events Raises More Questions; Prompts Additional Global Protest Actions

Vale's Cancellation of Investor Events Raises More Questions; Prompts
Additional Global Protest Actions

Labor Dispute in Canada Worsens for Brazil's Largest Private Company

TORONTO and PITTSBURGH, Oct. ,21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The United
Steelworkers (USW) criticized Vale's recent decision to cancel planned
investor events in New York and London as more evidence of a company in
disarray. Vale was scheduled to meet with key investors in New York on October
21 during "Vale Day on Wall Street" and in London on the 23rd. Vale appeared
to want to hold these events prior to releasing its third quarter results on
October 28.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080131/DC12982LOGO )

"Vale has been trying to avoid our shining a light on their managerial
misconduct," said USW Canadian National Director Ken Neumann. "Now it appears
to be trying to hide from hard questions that might be raised by investors and
the media."

Despite the cancellation of its own day on Wall Street, striking miners in
Sudbury, Ontario will still hold its Vale Day today. Since Vale was planning
to host a breakfast for investors, USW Local 6500 will host a breakfast on the
picket line where some 3,500 miners have been out since July 13, 2009.

In New York today, a delegation of USW activists will join strikers from
Sudbury and Port Colborne across the street from the New York Stock Exchange
at Federal Hall where they'll inform investors that the company is hiding from
them, too. The USW wants the company to return to the bargaining table in
Canada and calls on its top management to rekindle negotiations.

Strikers and other supporters will also conduct a demonstration at Vale
offices in Toronto and in Rio today. "We want to make it perfectly clear to
Vale that we're not going away, no matter where they run," said Joe Guido, a
USW Local 6500 member.

The workers will reach out to the financial community in London on Friday,
October 23, where Vale cancelled another event with the investors. Updates on
contract negotiations in Canada and Brazil will be provided.

Meanwhile the USW presses on with its global campaign. Director Neumann and
two USW miners on strike against Vale traveled last week to the German port of
Brunsbuttel, Germany, following Vale copper mined in Canada. Joined by mining
union leaders from Germany, Brazil, South Africa, Japan and other supporters
they conducted a demonstration as a ship transporting 35,000 tons of copper
concentrate from Voisey's Bay, Labrador arrived.

A group of the leaders then met with the ship's captain and a ship owners'
representative. The captain and agent were both supportive and said they would
raise the issue directly with Vale and would inform the buyers of the copper
about the dispute. The USW delegation held other meetings with leaders of
unions in Germany and other European countries that have members at Vale
operations and the operations of Vale's customers.

The two striking miners traveling with Neumann, Curtis Saunders and Aaron
Beaudry, then traveled to Sweden to ask a customer, Boliden, to not purchase
any copper concentrate from Vale until the strike at Vale's Canadian
operations is over. Board members at Boliden were upset by the report of the
labor situation in Canada and promised to further discuss this situation with
the company.

The meeting was arranged by IF Metall, Sweden's largest private sector union.
IF Metall represents the workers at the Boliden copper smelter in
Ronnskarsverken that Vale supplies.

"We are receiving tremendous support globally from mining and transport
workers' unions," said USW International President Leo W. Gerard. "We will go
to wherever Vale has operations and tell customers and investors how this
company is unfairly treating its workers in Canada, Brazil and elsewhere. "

For More Information, contact:
Bob Gallagher (Canada) at 416-434-2221; bgallagher@usw.ca
Wayne Ranick (U.S.) at 412-562-2444; wranick@usw.org
Carolyn Kazdin (Brazil) at (55-11) 3804-2630

OR

Go to: www.fairdealnow.ca

SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)

Bob Gallagher (Canada), +1-416-434-2221; bgallagher@usw.ca, or Wayne Ranick
(U.S.), +1-412-562-2444; wranick@usw.org, or Carolyn Kazdin (Brazil), (55-11)
3804-2630, all of USW