Jobs over deficit

 
A campaign by Ontario’s unionized labour force wants to pressure the province to focus on job creation before tackling its multi-billion dollar deficit.

Ontario Federation of Labour President Sid Ryan spoke at the Lakehead Labour Centre press conference Wednesday about the Communities That Work campaign. Organizers of the campaign want the upcoming Ontario budget to focus on creating more jobs.

A stimulus package was a good start and was the right decision on the province’s part, Ryan said. That doesn’t mean the spending should stop. The union president added that he would like to see money continue to flow and for Ontario to resist cutting social programs to pay down its $24.7 billion deficit.

"(Service cuts) make no sense," he said. "If you stimulate the economy in the private sector to create some jobs and at the same time you start slashing (social programs) the net result on the economy and in our communities will be zero."

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada numbers show that Thunder Bay’s unemployment rate sits at 7.6 per cent, nearly two per cent lower than the provincial average. Traditionally Thunder Bay’s working force was in the mining and forestry sectors, which have been among the hardest hit by the economic downturn.

Bruce Anderson, 50, worked for 35 years in the logging and mining industry. He said he quit high school before completing Grade 12 to work in the bush.

"Before you could move from one job to another," Anderson said. "Now you have to know somebody and you have to have this amount of skills. I’m a truck driver and equipment operator so it is a little easier for me."

Anderson said experience in the workforce is often more of an asset than an educated worker without experience. Employers often look for people with hands on experience, but despite Anderson’s experience he is still having trouble finding a full-time job.

Anderson said that the government should step in to help before it is too late and all of these industries die in Northern Ontario.

Ryan also told those attending the local news conference that Ontario should have a special energy policy for the North because Energy costs in this area are a major concern for industries such as mining. Green energy producing projects, like hydroelectric, should be front and centre of that special Northern energy policy, he added.

"It’s the most environmentally friendly renewable source and it’s cheap," Ryan said. "Let’s take that cheap, plentiful supply of electricity and put in a policy to attracted industry in Northern Ontario based on lower electricity costs."

The Communities That Work campaign will continue to the Niagara region before heading toward Windsor and will be stopping at various cities with a high rate of unemployment. Click here to submit a letter to the editor.