TECK ADVERTSING DISGUSTS

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

AS VIEWED IN THE TRAIL TIMES LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SECTION

In response to Teck Cominco's paid notices in recent issues of the Trail Daily Times, I say, "Shame on yo, Teck Cominco."

You can call it "Setting the Record Straight" all you want to; it's still nothing more than attempting to put the best spin you can on an extremely unacceptable position.

Personally, I find it insulting that this company apparently perceives this community to be so naive and gullible. They obviously have no idea just how infuriating statements like those made in the advertisement are to the citizens of this area.

We are not simpletons, Teck. We are knowledgeable, well-informed public, and quite familiar with the game playing that your company appears to take such delight in.

Again, I say shame on you. For generations, decade after decade, grandparents, parents and children have given this company many years of dedicated service, in return, Cominco was a decent and overall morally responsible employer.

However, it does seem that since merging of Cominco with Teck, there has been a distinct loss of sense of accountability and concern for the workers and for this community.

As a parent, I'm not sure that I could, in good conscience, encourage my son or daughter to seek occupation within your company; I could never feel confident that they would have lasting; dependable employment or the respect and commitment of this company towards their security and well-being.

And that's just sad, after the history Cominco has enjoyed in this town.

Teck has consistently asserted that it's quite willing to bargain, but apparently that only holds true if the union is prepared to bend over backwards and allow the company to virtually run roughshod over this membership.

The actions taken by this company, such as the never-ending list of injunctions attempting to break the spirit of the workers, the lapse in getting back to the table, along with the total disregard for a fair, timely and equitable settling of this whole situation are simply in conceivable.

Fr all intents and purposes, by bringing about all these legal diversions, Teck has effectively locked out the workers. The company declared it had no intention of bargaining until after Labour Day. (Did you enjoy your extended holiday? Our families didn't.)

This should not longer be called a strike but a lock-out since Teck has made it impossible for the employees to find a way to work. Nevertheless, Teck still managed to turn this mess into a plus for the company.

It is possible that this strike was well-orchestrated maneuver by Teck Cominco to allow the company to benefit financially from a force majeure? (for meaning of force majeure see bottom of this letter for glossary.)

Teck Cominco has proven over these past few weeks that loyalty, sacrifice and commitment mean absolutely nothing to it. All the publicity in the media about record profits seen by Teck Cominco in the past year, make no mention of how these profits were accumulated on the backs of the very people that Teck is now refusing to acknowledge, not of these concessions and support that the Cominco received from their employees and this community when it was facing hard times.

We're simply asking the company's recognition of the past support, now that it appears the lean years are behind us.

Place all well-worded paid notices you want to, Teck; it won't cover up what you're actually trying to do here in Trail. Undermining the employees, the unions, the overall welfare of the people of this city is deplorable. Shame, shame, shame on you Teck Cominco.

C. Morris

Trail

Word Glossary:

force majeure
 
force ma·jeure [ fàwrss maa júr ]
noun 

Definitions:
 
1. event that makes somebody do something: an unexpected event that crucially affects somebody's ability to do something and can be used in law as an excuse for not having carried out the terms of an agreement ( formal )

2. superior power: a force that is superior in power or impossible to resist

[Late 19th century. < French, "superior force"]

Comments

[Carol]

I'm having a hard time understanding why you guys as union reps don't give the details of the barganing deals that were made to the union and what you guys are asking for. As a Wife of a member that stands beside you guys I am not agreeing with the comunication you have put out to the strikers. I think this is very unsatisfactory. There better be some more info for them that this mass meeting and not a waste of time. We are getting further and further in debt. Are you guys going to get enough money to pay off the debts that we are making. I think not. So getting the settlement that was posted on the radio this morning sounds better than what they get now.This is very frustrating and it is time to get some views from the guys you are representing. They are and there families are what this is all about. Is there going to be a vote as to if they like the posted deal? I would really like to see them making the final decision on this.
There is lots of families suffering talk to them. We are one of them. This needs to end NOW!