Tuesday, January 19 @ 4:30 pm
Georgia Pacific Plant
403 - 118A Avenue (see map below)

The Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) is organizing a support rally for striking workers at the Georgia-Pacific drywall plant in Northeast Edmonton. The workers, members of the Boilermakers Union, Local D-513, were locked out by Georgia-Pacific three days before Christmas.

"Georgia-Pacific is the largest building products manufacturer in North America. It wants to import its U.S.-style bargaining tactics to Alberta. I think working people in Alberta need to remind them that Canada does things differently," says Audrey Cormack, AFL President.

Georgia Pacific is demanding shift changes that may result in job losses for up to one-third of the plant employees. It also wants rollbacks in the workers' benefit package.

The rally is intended to boost the morale of the striking workers on the eve of a new bargaining session.

For further information contact:

Audrey Cormack, President
483-3021(wk)/428-9367(hm)/499-6530 (cell)

That's the message that Cormack will deliver to a travelling parliamentary panel when it stops in Edmonton tomorrow.

The panel is chaired by Yvon Godin, a Nova Scotia MP and EI critic for the federal New Democrat caucus. Godin has been travelling the country since before Christmas in order to gather information about the impact of changes made to the EI system in 1996.

"Mr. Godin says he wants to get a clear picture of what effect the changes have had on the lives of ordinary Canadians," says Cormack. "Well, here in Alberta the situation is clear - only a tiny fraction of the unemployed currently qualify benefits under the new rules. The EI system is no longer there for Canadians when they need it."

The EI panel will be meeting between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. tomorrow (Tuesday, January 12) in Ballroom B of the Howard Johnson Hotel - located at 10010-104 Street in downtown Edmonton.

Cormack is scheduled to give her presentation to the panel at 10 a.m. Godin will be available to answer questions during breaks throughout the day. At 3 p.m., Godin will summarize what he has heard during the day.

For more information call:
Gil McGowan, Communications Director: 483-3021