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Forestry Workers Union Raise Alarm on American Acquisition of Canadian Forest Land |
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Written by Wire Services
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Tuesday, 03 January 2006 |
The recent sale by Abitibi Consolidated of 485,000 acres of forest land to an American company should raise serious alarm bells in political and regulatory circles, says Canada's largest union of forestry workers.
"These lands may be privately held but they are still a natural resource vital to the economic well being of the region and, more specifically, to the continued operation of the Abitibi mill in Thunder Bay where 200 workers are employed," said Cec Makowski, Ontario Region vice President of the 150,000 member Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada.
"At the very least, Natural Resources Minister David Ramsay and the Federal Government should demand a commitment from Abitibi and the new owners, North Star Forestry Ltd., that this fibre will stay in Canada and create employment here," Mr. Makowski said.
He also called on all the candidates currently running in the Federal election campaign to take a stand in support of linking the woodlands to ongoing job creation in the region.
"There is no better opportunity than right now for politicians of all stripes to step up to the plate in support of Canadian workers," Mr. Makowski said. The sale of the woodlands was announced just before the New Year for some $55 million.
It comes at a time of major employment cutbacks in the forestry sector which has prompted the CEP to launch a national campaign to halt mill closures.
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