MAY ALL WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES HAVE A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR
The Port Alberni and District Labour Council wishes every one a prosperous New Year. One way we can return to prosperity is for the unions to put Movement back in Labour. For decades Canadian Unions were at the forefront of political action for worker rights and benefits. Lately we’ve been sidelined by the so called economic crisis. This is created by the international bankers and corporations to put workers down. Now is the time to fight back smart. Canadian Governments have joined with the corporations in blaming the workers for the problem and are encouraging more trade with China. That seems to always put us out of work as we export raw materials and import the finished products we used to make.
A case in point is the export of wood blocks to China and they get to make the finger jointed products instead of us. A local book publisher in Nanaimo known for local content and production now gets their books produced and printed in China. I guess the owners get some money out of it and we can but the books cheaper than before. None of that helps the unemployed workers.
We hear how manufacturing in Canada is on the increase---The subsidized auto sector is picking up. Maybe Canada ends at the Ontario border. There was never any help for forestry workers or for that matter anyone else outside of Ontario and Quebec except for the suffering oil corporations.
In spite of all this and the Olympics, we can have a prosperous 2010 and beyond by choosing our fights and sticking to them. Give your leaders support in their efforts to keep what you have gained in the past and make improvements to what you have.
The US unions went through these problems much sooner than we did, and just now are starting to come out of the doldrums and fighting back in any way they can. If you are interested in finding out what others are doing Labornotes.org is a good site to add to your other union URLs.
For View from Labour
Dec. 31 2009
Submitted by Jack McLeman
Former president of PADLC