Vale Inco is going to increase its mining activity locally in order to provide more feed for its back-in-operation Copper Cliff Smelter complex.

"We did send out a notice to managers to cascade the rest of their staff," Vale Inco spokesman Steve Ball said Tuesday.

"We are looking to run Coleman to full production and ramp up Creighton Mine to full production in order to sustain full production at the smelter."

Ball said there is no set time when the two sites – some mining has been going on at Coleman and Garson for several months – could reach the planned production level.

"They will be up and running when we are ready," said Ball. "It will be happening in the next few weeks and months."

The Sudbury Star received a tip that the two mine sites will be staffed by miners provided by a contractor. The replacements are coming in from northern Quebec.

The miners, according to the tipster, will be housed in bunkhouses in the parking lots of the two mines.

"We are going to need additional resources," said Ball. "I'm not going to say there's 100 miners coming from Quebec. I don't think that's the case ...

"Where possible, jobs will be filled with existing people. But, when you are moving to full production, we will need additional resources."

United Steelworkers Local 6500 President John Fera has heard the same rumour. He said the 200 miners coming in are arriving now.

"They (Vale Inco) are turning our plants and mines into Third World plantations," he said. "Nothing this company does surprises me anymore. It has nothing to do with labour relations and respect. It has everything to do with carrying the biggest stick."

Local 6500 represents more than 3,000 production and maintenance workers at Vale Inco's Greater Sudbury operations. Negotiations have not been held since the strike started and none are planned.

Workers here and in Port Colborne have been on strike since July 13 in a dispute over pensions, nickel price bonus and transfer rights. Steelworkers at Vale Inco's operations in Voisey's Bay, NL, have been strike since Aug. 1.