Members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada component - the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees (UCTE) - at the Port of Churchill are facing an uncertain economic future after receiving notice that the port will not be handling any grain this season.
Approximately 60 members – some of whom were not back at work yet for the season – were effectively laid off as of Monday August 8th.
By this action, 10% of the population of Churchill, Manitoba is unemployed. For these members, there are many questions including whether or not they even qualify for employment insurance.
Repeated attempts to meet with the federal and provincial government representatives have gone nowhere.
UCTE and PSAC Prairies has launched a #SupportOurPort campaign which included meetings with various stakeholder groups as well as with Manitoba’s NDP labour critic and several federal NDP Members of Parliament including Niki Ashton, Member of Parliament for Churchill-Keewatinook Aski.
We are asking members and the public to sign a petition calling on the federal government to return the Port of Churchill back to public ownership.
You can sign the electronic petition here or print it from this link and mail the completed petition form to the House of Commons at the following address:
Niki Ashton, MP Churchill – Keewatinook Aski
263 Confederation Building
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
#SupportOurPort