‘Safe’ Ajax jobs possible if community works together, says Steelworkers 1-417 president

NEWS — The president of United Steelworkers Local 1-417 says his executive is strongly in favour of the Ajax project, unlike the president of another local, 7619.

And he says opponents of the mine should be willing to consider the possibility it can be done safely.

Marty Gibbons said today the 1-417 executive voted unanimously in support of Ajax unless there’s an unfavourable environmental assessment report. The local represents 1,400 workers in Interior sawmills, trucking, construction and other industries.

Richard Boyce, who heads up Local 7619, told a crowd last weekend he’s in favour of mining but “not this mine.”

Boyce, who said he was speaking only for himself and not the local he leads, said the project is too close to Kamloops and there are too many things environmental studies can’t answer.

Gibbons, however, said his local believes Ajax can produce “safe jobs,” and the community needs them in view of job cuts and losses in other industries.

Both locals have split from the Kamloops and District Labour Council, which opposes Ajax.

“We feel that an environmentally sound Ajax project is possible and if the parties work together we can make that happen and bring those jobs to Kamloops,” Gibbons said.

“Our official position is that we support an environmentally sound Ajax project.”

Gibbons said one of the reasons traffic is growing at the Kamloops Airport is because people have to leave jobs to find work.

“Kamloops is bleeding jobs and how far does it have to get before people realize the connection between increased city taxes, decreased enrolment in schools and property values?” he told CBC Daybreak Kamloops.

“We feel jobs are important and we feel they’re part of a community and if we don’t have them then we don’t have a community… Families shouldn’t have to be broken up to get work.”

Gibbons said opponents of Ajax “aren’t even prepared to consider the possibility that this mine can be done safely. The anti-Ajax position is ‘no.’”

He said the environmental review should be allowed to take its course. “We don’t believe that people with biased positions should be making opinions. We, unlike the ‘no’ movement, are prepared to consider both sides of the argument.”

He said the “drama” needs to be taken out of the debate.

“We sure seem to have a group that moves from one agenda item to the next, whether it’s parking lots or trees in front of the hospital, although the theme sure seems to be ‘no’ fairly steady. It’s awful easy to say no.”