TECK, TOWN FACES AGE OF MISTRUST
Teck, town face age of mistrust
by Jason Kirby - Financial Post
Full 5 page article in National Post Online edition.
PHOTO CREDIT: Ric Ernst, CanWest News Service
STRIKE KEEPS TRAIL IN LIMBO: Teck Cominco's smelter still dominates Trail, B.C., but the mutually beneficial relationship between the company and the city is breaking down due to a bitter workers' strike.
STRIKE KEEPS TRAIL IN LIMBO: Teck Cominco's smelter still dominates Trail, B.C., but the mutually beneficial relationship between the company and the city is breaking down due to a bitter workers' strike.
Marc Desrosiers, a technician at Teck Cominco Ltd.'s giant lead and zinc operations in this West Kootenays city, sits outside on a ratty brown armchair next to rickety stairs that rise up the side of a steep hill to the plant. Few employees mount the stairs when they go to work anymore; most drive in through the front gates. But as part of the lingering strike by 1,300 Teck Cominco employees, Mr. Desrosiers and a small group of Steelworkers have barricaded the entrance with picket signs...
Click here to view the online version of the 5 page National Post article by Jason Kirby.
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I am disappointed that the "new" TeckCominco has completely ignored the people who live, work and play here in Trail.
Both the original smelter and community grew together, through good and bad times. Now, Teck wants to turn its back on the people of Trail and threatens to shut down and move operations elsewhere while CEOs and former CEOs cash in their formidable shares. Those shares would not have amounted to much without the sweat and sacrifice of Cominco's workers.
Indeed, the metals markets are high and this is a good time to sell shares. But, those same CEOs benefitted more than the average worker and yet, they, too, were but workers.
Ordinary shareholders should be concerned that former managers are dumping their shares at this time. These former managers are sending some disturbing signals to shareholders. What happens if more shareholders start to dump their stock?
If and when workers go back to work, it will be with a lack of respect for the mining and smelting giant. The community as well has lost respect for this company.
The community made a huge mistake cutting back the company's taxes as well as siding with it when it campaigned to defeat the referendum for a new city hall and library.
TeckCominco is no longer worthy of our consideration, respect and trust. Certainly not with the current management, anyway. Shame.
Posted by: community supporter | September 26, 2005 at 08:45 PM