Protest against jobs given to TFWs instead of qualified local tradespeople

EDMONTON – Workers in Edmonton are taking to the street to protest the fact that they’ve been passed over for jobs on the city’s new arena.

Instead of hiring some of the 300 qualified ironworkers who are on the jobs list at the hiring hall a few blocks from the arena’s location, the company that was awarded the lucrative contract for the construction of the arena has applied for – and been approved to hire – Temporary Foreign Workers.

“The guys who are supposed to stop the Temporary Foreign Worker Program from putting Canadians out of work have failed in their duty. How did these applications even make it past the blue-line?” Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan said. “This is the biggest own goal Edmonton hockey has seen since Steve Smith.”

Who:
Gil McGowan, President, Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL)
George Papineau, Business Agent, Ironworkers Local 720
Bruce Fafard, President, Edmonton & District Labour Council (EDLC)

When:
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m., Thursday, January 15, 2015

Where:
Muster point at the corner of 104 Avenue and 104 Street, downtown Edmonton

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Olav Rokne, Communications Director, Alberta Federation of Labour at 780.218.4351 (cell)
or via e-mail orokne@afl.org