QUEBEC CITY – The leaders of all of Canada’s provincial and territorial labour union federations will hold a news conference in Quebec City tomorrow morning, challenging the provincial premiers to justify their plans for major changes to Canada’s internal trade rules.

Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan and all of his provincial and territorial counterparts warn that the premiers are on the verge signing off on new internal trade rules that will significantly reduce the range of policy options available to governments as they grapple with pressing issues like climate change, the manufacturing crisis and the rapidly rising cost of living.

The new rules, which will be discussed tomorrow by the Premiers at their annual conference being held in Quebec City, will likely give corporations the right to sue governments for policies, regulations or programs that business perceives as standing in the way of private-sector profit-making.

“The premiers say these changes are necessary to deal with barriers to labour mobility,” says McGowan. “But the truth is that workers already move almost effortlessly across provincial boundaries. So all this talk about mobility is a smoke screen for something else – something much more sinister.”

The labour federation news conference will be held at the Hotel Manoir Victoria in Quebec City tomorrow, July 17, at 11 a.m. The hotel is located at 44, Cote du Palais.

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For more information contact:

Gil McGowan, AFL President @ 780.483-3021 (office) or 780.218-9888 (cell)