The local United Steelworkers Union, Local 1-405, which represents members across the Kootenays and Columbia Valley, is coming out hard against criticism by the BC Liberals of International USW President Leo Gerard for being part of a delegation to Donald Trump’s oval office while the president delivered a harsh speech on Canadian dairy, lumber and energy.
A BC Liberal press release this week said the following, ‘Horgan then defended United Steelworkers president Leo Gerard’s decision to stand with Donald Trump as the President attacked Canadian workers – and even accepted the pen as a souvenir. When push came to shove, John Horgan chose his big U.S. donors over British Columbians. No wonder, since his two most senior campaign officials are directly on the U.S.-based union’s payroll.”
Local 1-405 Financial Secretary Jeff Bromley accuses Premier Christy Clark and her government of playing politics while local mill workers worry about their jobs.
“5000 Steelworkers live and work in the East and West Kootenays, almost 1000 of them in the forest industry. These duties are going to harm our members, harm the companies and could cause job losses and all Christy Clark can do is attack our president? How does that help our members? How does that help our families?” said Bromley.
Bromley says that Trump’s “tirade” was not announced and Girard has been leading the fight against U.S. tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber.
This government isn’t working for Steelworkers in BC and especially in the Kootenays,” continued Bromley. “Over 1000 direct jobs are impacted by the U.S. Softwood Lumber tariffs in the East and West Kootenay and Columbia Valley, Christy Clark and the Liberals have done nothing to protect those jobs. In fact, they’ve made it worse. We firmly believe that if the Forest Act of BC had not been changed in 2004 under the BC Liberals, Canal Flats Sawmill – a profitable sawmill – would still be operating today. They changed the act to benefit their forest industry donors and cut the tie of the timber to the sawmill, enabling the timber to be shipped anywhere and the jobs to disappear.”
“Christy Clark and the Liberals need to stop attacking Steelworkers and worry about protecting jobs. They aren’t standing up for BC working families; they aren’t standing up for Steelworkers.”
Bromley went on to endorse NDP candidates in four Kootenay Boundary ridings, and urged USW membership to vote NDP.