A union leader at Voisey's Bay says he was served Monday with documents in a civil lawsuit. (CBC)

A long-running labour dispute at the Voisey's Bay nickel mine in northern Labrador has spilled over into the courts.

Darren Cove, president of the United Steelworkers local at Voisey's Bay, said he was served Monday with documents in a civil lawsuit.

Cove said a statement of claim filed by Vale alleges that Cove defamed the company when he recently said it was treating its workers like second-class citizens.

About 200 Steelworkers members in Labrador have been off the job since early August in 2009, in a strike over wages and benefits.

Cove said lawyers for the Steelworkers have told him they have never before seen an employer use such a tactic in a labour dispute.

Cove made the comments after the latest round of negotiations broke down last month. At the time, Cove said workers in Labrador would settle for the same contract offered to company workers in Sudbury, but that they have been offered much less.

Workers in Sudbury, as well as Port Colbourne, Ont., settled a separate long-running strike in July.