A union representing hundreds of B.C. pulp mill workers is asking for the federal government to intervene in a trade war it says is threatening to close three B.C. pulp mills and two others across Canada.

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced this week a new 22 per cent anti-dumping duty on products produced by Catalyst, which operates coastal B.C. pulp mills in Port Alberni, Crofton and Powell River, as well as two more in Newfoundland and Quebec, employing approximately 1,500 workers.

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Unifor, which represents many of those workers, fears the duties could lead to hundreds of job losses and has released a video urging the federal government to take immediate action to end the tariffs.

91裸聊视频淚 never ever would91裸聊视频檝e dreamed that Donald Trump would be affecting my livelihood,91裸聊视频� Powel River Catalyst worker Brett Vizzuti said in the posted to social media.

Unifor president Jerry Dias said U.S. President Trump is introducing 91裸聊视频渃haos91裸聊视频� into trade relations with Canada, with his latest attack on Canadian workers putting five pulp and paper mills across the nation in jeopardy of closure.

91裸聊视频淯nfair tariffs aren91裸聊视频檛 just political theatre, they91裸聊视频檙e reckless policies that will close down mills and throw hundreds of Canadians out of work,91裸聊视频� Dias said. 91裸聊视频淭his is completely unacceptable and Ottawa needs to push back hard against these heavy-handed tactics.91裸聊视频�

Dias said the tariffs have one goal in mind, to weaken Canadian paper manufactures for the benefit of U.S. producers.

91裸聊视频淯nifor has responded with a high profile campaign to fight back against Trump the bully,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e asking people to write to the federal Minister of Natural Resources Jim Carr to tell him that Canada has to hit back hard to protect our jobs.91裸聊视频�

Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns said he has been working behind the scenes with Catalyst Paper and the Prime Minister91裸聊视频檚 office to find a way to help the beleaguered paper company. He said the framework for the federal government91裸聊视频檚 softwood lumber aid package should be set within the month.

91裸聊视频淭his is an issue we need government to be fighting very aggressively over,91裸聊视频� Johns said from Ottawa. 91裸聊视频淭his affects 600,000 jobs in the U.S. right now; it91裸聊视频檚 not just Canadian jobs that (trade tariffs) affect. These challenges don91裸聊视频檛 make sense. We need the prime minister to fight for us.91裸聊视频�

He said people don91裸聊视频檛 understand the seriousness of the situations and defended Unifor91裸聊视频檚 public campaign, saying it91裸聊视频檚 not alarmist to think that Catalyst may have to close its Vancouver Island plants.

91裸聊视频淚t is challenging right now. This is a company that can91裸聊视频檛 carry these heavy punitive duties, these penalties,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭hey can91裸聊视频檛 sustain it forever.91裸聊视频�

In a statement released in March, Ned Dwyer, Catalysts91裸聊视频檚 president and CEO called the U.S. trade action unwarranted and without merit.

91裸聊视频淓ven with the exemption of directory paper, the remaining anti-dumping and countervailing duties are onerous and a critical cost challenge for Catalyst,91裸聊视频� Dwyer said. 91裸聊视频淭hey pose a threat to our competitiveness and the sustainability of our business and we will continue to vigorously defend ourselves against them.91裸聊视频�

Jon Lefebure, mayor the Municipality of North Cowichan where the Crofton mill is located, said increasing costs could drastically hamper Crofton91裸聊视频檚 profitability, leading to layoffs and even its complete closure.

91裸聊视频淚 think the mill can withstand these increased costs for awhile, but the fear is that if these punitive tariffs continue, the mill will be priced out of business,91裸聊视频� Lefebure said. 91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 a major concern because the Crofton mill is the biggest employer in the region outside of School District 79.91裸聊视频�

Lefebure said the Crofton mill is such a big operation, running it full-time, even if it is taking financial losses, might be cheaper than shutting it down until its products are more financially viable in the marketplace.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 certainly a difficult economic situation for our mill,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 not a fair tariff and is not justified. It91裸聊视频檚 really just a bully tactic. Catalyst has fought similar battles with unfair tariffs in the past, and we hope the company is successful again.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频� with a file from Susie Quinn, Alberni Valley News

robert.barron@cowichanvalleycitizen.com
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