Oil Sands Truth: Shut Down the Tar Sands

Labour / Migration

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.

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Energy Corporations and Worker Deaths in BC

Much of the gas in the northeast region of British Columbia (and a little from Yukon and the Liard region of the NWT) is already being fed into pipes in the Albertan system. A corridor pipe, short and innocuous seeming, is to be proposed soon, taking this and much much more gas from all over northwestern Turtle Island directly to the tar sands.

This health cost is only going to grow exponentially.

Macdonald

Oil and Gas industry battles worker death toll
41 workers have died in the B.C. oilpatch in the past six years
Michael Kane, Vancouver Sun
Published: Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Alberta Federation of Labour: "...tell the oil companies: Enough is enough"

Money for Fort McMurray welcome, but pace of oil sands development is still the "elephant in the room"

Stelmach needs to find courage to tell oil companies: enough is enough

EDMONTON, Feb. 26/2007
CNW/ - New funding announced today to address growth pressures in Fort McMurray is welcome but is yet another example of the Alberta government treating the symptoms and ignoring the root causes of the disease, says Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour.

CEP asks Court to overturn Keystone Pipeline Decision

The only thing that is not understood for public consumption is that Enbridge and Trans Canada are not really in competition. These pipe plans, when taken into account along side the recent US nudge to the Federal Government of Canada to heighten production by five times, are not competing but rather complementary with the other pipelines being proposed to move heavy bitumen. This is an indicator of the sheer size of these plans, the scope of the tarsands and what we must do to really effect stopping them.

Sex, Drugs and Alcohol Stalk the Streets of Fort McMurray

Sex, Drugs and Alcohol Stalk the Streets of Fort McMurray
Calgary Herald October 22, 2005
Deborah Tetley; With files by Paul Haavardsrud

It's just after 7 p.m. on payday Thursday and downtown Fort McMurray is a gong show.

Inside the storied Diggers bar, dozens of oilsands workers are poised like bingo dobbers over beers, waiting for their name to be bellowed over the PA system so they can cash their paycheques.

At a going rate of $2 on every hundred, it's the best deal in town, outside of $3.50 highballs.