It is falsely assumed that big projects equal lots of jobs and, by extension, labour peace if not outright satisfaction. The size and scope of the tarsands means for incredibly dangerous work conditions-- some fatalities at the plants have already occurred. The products seldom get their "value added" in union-run locations, instead the heavy bitumen can be shipped to many different locations across North America for refining, denying benefits to the union. However, the Union does not represent the "guest worker", now being imported in increasing numbers as legislation is changed to make access easier, the term of exploitation last longer, without any new efforts or pathways to deciding to stay after helping tear up the earth.
Shell affirms "too uncertain" outlook for oil industry
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
* Links Niger delta crisis, falling oil prices to low output
By Taiwo Hassan, with Agency Reports
CITING falling oil prices and crisis in Nigeria's Niger delta region, Anglo Dutch oil giant, Shell, has conceded that the industry's outlook has become "too uncertain" for long term projections.
Total: May Delay Joslyn Oil Sands Proj Decision To Cut Costs
* APRIL 6, 2009, 1:17 P.M. ET
OTTAWA (Dow Jones)--Total SA (TOT) may delay its investment decision for the proposed C$9 billion Joslyn oil sands mine in northern Alberta by a few months as it looks to cut project costs, the company said Monday.
The French oil major holds a 74% interest in the oft-stalled development and had previously intended to make a go-ahead decision in early 2010.
Province hires Washington lobbyists
Updated: Sat Apr. 04 2009
ctvcalgary.ca
The province has hired Washington lobbyists to pitch the oil patch to Alberta's biggest customer.
"There is so much at stake for Alberta and we will be applying the full-court press. Not only on elected officials but also on the U.S. administration," says Premier Ed Stelmach.
The move comes as the American government is under increasing pressure to invest in and purchase green energy.
Stelmach says many don't realize how clean Alberta's oil sands are and that's why he's enlisting the help of lobbyists.
Nexen, Opti Canada May Be Targeted in Oil-Sands Deals
By Joe Carroll
April 3 (Bloomberg) -- Nexen Inc. and Opti Canada Inc. may be among Canadian oil companies targeted for takeovers as a price collapse triggers a rush by larger producers to amass holdings in the biggest crude deposits outside Saudi Arabia.
Vanoc expects no profit in 2010 Games with economic slump
The organizers of the 2010 Winter Olympics no longer expect to leave a
financial surplus for future sport development.
The same worldwide economic downturn that has bankrupted companies and
left tens of thousands of people without jobs has also eaten up — for
now — any potential Olympic profit, John Furlong, the head of the
Vancouver Organizing Committee, said Wednesday.
Furlong said Vanoc is struggling just to make sure it breaks even when
the Games end next year.
Wed, April 1, 2009
Fowl fatal figure flap
Syncrude reveals duck tragedy triple initial toll - which it and province knew in July
By KERRY DIOTTE, LEGISLATURE BUREAU CHIEF
Province knew in July the real toll at the tailings pond.
Syncrude and the Alberta government knew nine months ago that three times as many ducks died in an oilsands tailings pond than initially reported - but officials didn't make the higher death toll public until yesterday.
Becoming No. 1: Suncor's story
March 23, 2009
CBC News
If the deal goes down, one of the first companies to pull oil from the sticky tar sands of Alberta is about to become Canada's biggest energy company and the fifth-largest in North America.
Suncor and Petro-Canada plan a merger that would give the company a market capitalization of $43.3-billion US. For comparison, energy giants Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips are worth about $326.6 billion and $55.97 billion, respectively.
What is Suncor?
Oilsands worker in coma after skull fractured in accident
By Ben Gelinas, edmontonjournal.com
March 29, 2009
EDMONTON — A 19-year-old contractor for Devon Energy is in an induced coma after he was hit in the head with a 2X4 on a construction site about 30 kilometres southeast of Conklin at the company's Jackfish 2 oilsands site.
The man was operating a small ride-on packer, levelling a tank base under construction around 9 a.m. Saturday, when his machine caught a rope used to secure a wooden light-tower nearby.
March 24, 2009
30 Years and Counting
People Died at Three Mile Island
By HARVEY WASSERMAN
People died--and are still dying--at Three Mile Island.
As the thirtieth anniversary of America's most infamous industrial accident approaches, we mourn the deaths that accompanied the biggest string of lies ever told in US industrial history.
As news of the accident poured into the global media, the public was assured there were no radiation releases.
That quickly proved to be false.
Separating Deh cho politics from business
Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, March 26, 2009
LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON - A recent forum held in Fort Simpson is being hailed as the first step in a new chapter of economic and business development in the Deh Cho.
The goal of the forum was to discuss economic development in the Deh Cho and the separation of politics and business within the Dehcho First Nations (DFN), said Cynthia Cardinal James, the chairperson of the Dehcho Economic Corporation.
"It's just in the interest of better business," she said.
