BC Rail Sold To CN--Workers Face Layoffs
Posted on Monday, December 01 at 16:10 by sthompson
The Premier announced $750 million was paid by CN Rail for access to the BC Rail line, access to the BC Rail Pension Plan surplus, and the engines and rail cars. An additional $250 million was paid for the $852 million tax pool accumulated by BC Rail over the last two years.
"The Premier's own documents show this rail worth $2 billion and this Premier just gave it away to one of his largest campaign contributors," said Sinclair. "Even worse is the $250 million of taxpayers money to subsidize the deal."
An analysis of the announced closures at BC Rail show the total number of layoffs will be significantly higher than the 430 workers announced today:
* 500 workers from North Vancouver headquarters
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* 200 workers from Squamish Yard
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* 2 workers from Lillooet
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* 26 workers from Prince George
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"Over 750 employees at BC Rail are being laid off at BC Rail and only this government would claim that is a good news story," said Sinclair. "If this Premier thinks he is going to be able to bribe the people of the North with their own money, he is in for another rude awakening."
The proposed swap of land for jobs in Squamish is of particular concern for British Columbians. Squamish Mayor Sutherland has endorsed the transfer of up to 150 acres of land from BC Rail to compensate for the loss of 200 direct jobs in his community.
"This deal is totally against what the City Council asked for and this Mayor has just sold out the workers and businesses in that community for a song," said Sinclair. "Squamish may have just paid the heaviest price for this deal."
The campaign to stop the sale of BC Rail is continuing and the Federation will be making representations to the Canada Competition Bureau when the issue is discussed. The Federation will also continue to support the efforts of the workers and the community in their attempts to hold this government accountable for the deal.
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For more information: Jessie Uppal 604 220-0739.
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"So many right-wing christians, so few lions." - t-shirt I saw @ school
Some notable activities:
Norway tells BC government \"do not trust the fish farmers, they ruined our eco-system and we booted them out for it\". Campbell and team then make it easier for them to set up shop in BC.
One-third of BC Hydro pawned off to Accenture of Enron fame.
Public parks are now run by private corporations.
Makes NO fuss about the illegal softwood lumber duties while watching all time highs of raw logs going directly south.
Plans to build resorts and the such in Provincial parks because \"not everyone wants to sleep in a tent\". Ignoring that the parks bring in over $500 million dollars of economic activity because they are NOT commercialized.
Tried and failed to privatize a major highway and some water systems. The public fought back and won, but the new year will bring round two.
BC Ferries slated to be sold off and dismantled.
Closed numerous hospitals, and privatized large chunks of their operations. Already resulting in deaths.
Gave a tax break of some $1000 or more a month to the richest British Columbians while lowering daycare subsidies and increasing Medical Services Plan and Pharmacare fees.
Plans to privatize both MSP and Pharmacare in the new year.
Working forest legislation will allow unprecedented access to BC forests - mostly to foreign owned and operated lumber companies. This new legislation has allowed a forest company to log one of the last old growth forests in the lower mainland - it is also one of the last stands of forest that house the endangered spotted owl and a little known species found nowhere else - the barking salamander.
Will soon allow children as young as 12 to work in ANY INDUSTRY in BC up to 7 hours a day and some 35 hours per week.
Lowered the starting wage in BC to $6! All the while the Market Basket Measure has shown Vancouver to have the highest rate of people living in poverty.
Has closed job training facilities. Closed drug rehab facilities while hard-core drug use has increased.
Changed legislation around workers rights. Gave employeers much more room to abuse while rolling back the strength of unions. People in charge of dispute resolution have been cut back by over 50%!
Will soon boot thousands off of welfare with no provisions for them if they cannot find work. Its the street or death for them.
Closed over three hundred beds for mental patients - putting them all on the streets. When the NDP did that in 99 (about 100 beds) I was working in a jail - within two days our incarceration rates increased by almost 30%! Included in that were child predators and criminally insane!
Geez, I could go on and on but I think everyone gets the point. Campbell and team make Harris look like a little school boy discovering what it means to be a cheap labour conservative.
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If there was ever a time for Canadians to become pushy - now is the time - for time is running out on this nation called Canada.
Maybe he is not off the sauce after all...
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If there was ever a time for Canadians to become pushy - now is the time - for time is running out on this nation called Canada.