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.
Part II of II:
Macdonald Stainsby gives http://h2opodcast.com/ an overview of the tar sands, their history in development, why now, the connection to the war on terror & Iraq, trade deals, expansion of the temporary foreign worker programs in such development, violation of indigenous nations' self-determination and environmental destruction unparalleled in the world. Part II of II.
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Abuse of foreign workers unavoidable, Alta. Tories suggest
Elise Stolte , Canwest News Service
Published: Wednesday, June 18, 2008
EDMONTON - Some abuse of foreigners working temporarily in Alberta is unavoidable because of conditions in their home countries, Alberta's minister of Employment and Immigration suggested Wednesday.
Hector Goudreau was reacting to news that as many as 120 Chinese workers were paid a fraction of what they were owed for work building tanks at a northern Alberta oilsands site.
No one wants to be on the outside looking in. When there is a great issue and movement underway, most people-- certainly most people who are political in one form or another-- will do whatever needed to be relevant, to have a comment, to be a part of what is going on, shall we say. This is always the case in presidential elections. The article below has some incredibly good information and is a piece that contains very important information about the whole process of NAFTA, et al.
Media advisory -
North American unions denounce privatization of Mexico's oil sector
OTTAWA, June 17 /CNW Telbec/ - While Mexico is steeped in an intense
public debate on the potential privatisation of PEMEX, a state-owned petroleum
company, North American energy sector unions continue to mobilize their
members and sound the alarm about the colossal loss that Mexico could suffer.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Communications, Energy
and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP) have delegated Canadian lawyer
Racism in the Tar Sands: exploiting foreign workers and poisoning indigenous people
June 12, 2008
By Macdonald Stainsby
The giant corporations that are determined to exploit the Alberta tar sands face a major problem — a serious shortage of local labour to do the actual work. So the Canadian and Albertan governments have a plan, ideal in their eyes, to solve the crunch.
More articles softening up the population for the massive expansion of the Temporary foreign worker programs, being brought in by the tag team of THe SPP and TILMA, and done in time to build Olympic and Tar Sands infrastructure... Yet, due to the size of the proposed Gigaproject as well as the 2010 Games this is actually true-- the question not being asked is are we prepared to allow projects with such dire prospects?
--M
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Shortage of skilled workers to continue
Written by GORDON HOEKSTRA
Citizen staff
Friday, 06 June 2008
Reopen NAFTA, reclaim our oil
Linda McQuaig
Canada will need tough negotiators to gain parity in trade agreement.
Yes, let's punish the official who leaked the Canadian memo that created
heat for Barack Obama, future president of the United States.
But let's not waste much time examining the mouth of this particular gift
horse.
Let's just consider ourselves lucky that the heated US Democratic
presidential race may result in NAFTA (the North American Free Trade
Agreement) being put back on the table.
NAFTA is deeply flawed from Canada's point of view. We failed to get the
Group wants to start needle exchange
By VERNA MURPHY
Today staff
Friday June 06, 2008
Injection drug users in Fort McMurray will soon have a safe place to drop off their dirty needles.
Alaska governor recommends TransCanada's pipeline bid
ANNE SUTTON
The Associated Press
May 22, 2008 at 6:39 PM EDT
JUNEAU, Alaska — — Alaska Governor Sarah Palin on Thursday recommended that state lawmakers approve a proposal from TransCanada Corp. [TRP-T] to build a natural gas pipeline from Alaska's North Slope to a hub in Alberta.
Total postpones oil sands project by a year or more
Shaun Polczer, Calgary Herald
Published: Wednesday, May 28, 2008
CALGARY - Total is pushing the start-up date for its Joslyn integrated oilsands mine back at least a year.
Istead of coming onstream in 2012, the project will now start producing "before 2015" Total Canada president Mike Borrell said today.
Total is seeking to be Canada's next integrated oilsands producer with an open pit mine and upgrading complex near Fort McMurray.
In addition, it owns half of the Surmont thermal project in partnership with ConocoPhillips.
