The CEP Local 1093 has sent a copy of this letter for posting.
As always Sue's Blog will accept and post letters on the important mill issue.
Dear Danny,
First of all, let me thank you for the other knife in my back! It goes well with the knives I've received from Abitibi Consolidated, the Town Council, the Townspeople and other people from your caucus! Was I surprised at your cowardness, no! Was I disappointed, yes! I've had 4 people confront me since your little show on VOCM, Feb.6, 2007. Throwing it in my face again and again and again! Am I mad, yes! Royally pissed off! I still have to live in this town buddy and I'm trying to raise my family here, but people like you make it very hard to survive when you spread lies! Yes Danny, lies! Not politically naive, but lies!!!!
May I remind you of your press release dated Dec. 9, 2005 which was posted on VOCM for a little while until it got hauled off.
"Abitibi-Consolidated was entertaining a new proposal from the union yesterday, and Premier Danny Williams had made a pitch to company brass to accept it."
"Natural Resources Minister Ed Byrne says the union has put it's best foot forward."
You can correct me on this one because I'm going on memory until I can find it in the archives, but I remember you saying something along the lines of.... "when we give Abitibi what they want, they raise the bar. It's like sand shifting under your feet." Again, correct me if I'm wrong on that one!!
You sir, of all people, know that Abitibi had no intentions of running the mill in Stephenville! All they wanted was the deal from the union so they could take it to their other mills! Using words in their documents such as "notwithstanding", "supercede", and then finally "replace". They would tell us, "that's not what we meant", but you're smart enough to know that it doesn't matter what they meant, what matters is what's on the paper when it's signed! Then it's a legal binding document, with no recourse but to put up with it! Abitibi always was the trend setter in the industry! When negotiations came around, it was always Abitibi who started and when it was over , the other paper companies would follow suit! Much the same as Stora Enso did with their employees after Abitibi failed to obtain that deal from us! They went after it and they got it! Since that time many employees have left that company and financially hurt Stora Enso bought another mill in Brazil for $425 million. Go figure that one out!
The whole time you guys were negotiating with local management, Abitibi's spokesperson Seth Kursman was telling the world that the mill was shutting down! "As far as we're concerned, the mill in Stephenville will shut in October." That is what he was saying and yet negotiations were still going on at the local level. They wanted to save $15 a ton, which amounted to about $3.2 million a year! Our document to the company saved them that without them having to put in a single cent! It obviously wasn't about dollars and cents but about breaking the contract! Something you know a lot about!
In closing, I would like to say that you are not a very trustworthy man and I hope that Stephen Harper tells you that he was being politically naive when he made that deal with you, because I haven't seen anything good come out of you since you've been in office! Nothing on my plate but taxes and misery and for what! Wait lines in hospitals are longer than ever, people from this area having to drive to Deer Lake to catch a flight to go to work and risk the chance of having an accident on our poor highway from Stephenville to Corner Brook! What good is $2.2 billion if you're not going to spend it! Why don't you do something good for a change for the people of OUR province, and I mean everyone in the province, not just a select few! Do your job, stop promoting Alberta and start promoting Newfoundland and Labrador!
Thank you for your time!
Brian Prosper
Former mill employee and current member of the union executive!
Copy of Story on VOCM PRESS HERE
2 comments:
Way to go Brian....I can't believe the nerve of Danny to come out with that bold face lie about the union should have accepted the deal from Abitibi. Makes me mad I tell you. I see the PC's got in again in the districts. Port au Port must have been an important win to them because they pulled out all the stops. Oh well there is another election just around the corner. Who knows what the people will think then.
Mr. Prosper,
I heard Danny on the open line and I was disgusted with his comments regarding the Abitibi union. I believe those people were duped by him.
I'm also totally 'SICK' that the PCs got elected for the Port au Port district. I'm surprised at the naivety of the people of this district and province to keep voting for him and his team.
They've done nothing but 'double talk' since he's been elected...'not on my watch' 'no stone unturned' (Abitibi talk); and the latest mumbo jumbo 'entitlement'; 'top up'; ($2875 freebie); and soon it will be 'what do you mean there's no one left on the island - St. John's is still populated'!
There are many who want this man out. He has betrayed the west coast and other areas for long enough. We are not second class citizens. We demand proper representation in the house and we didn't get it from Jim or Joan (who?) and many of us don't expect to get it from newly elected Tony!
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