A union representing hundreds of B.C. pulp mill workers is asking for the federal government to intervene in a trade war it says is threatening to close three B.C. pulp mills and two others across Canada.

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced this week a new 22 per cent anti-dumping duty on products produced by Catalyst, which operates coastal B.C. pulp mills in Port Alberni, Crofton and Powell River, as well as two more in Newfoundland and Quebec, employing approximately 1,500 workers.

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Unifor, which represents many of those workers, fears the duties could lead to hundreds of job losses and has released a video urging the federal government to take immediate action to end the tariffs.

sa国际传媒淚 never ever wouldsa国际传媒檝e dreamed that Donald Trump would be affecting my livelihood,sa国际传媒� Powel River Catalyst worker Brett Vizzuti said in the posted to social media.

Unifor president Jerry Dias said U.S. President Trump is introducing sa国际传媒渃haossa国际传媒� into trade relations with Canada, with his latest attack on Canadian workers putting five pulp and paper mills across the nation in jeopardy of closure.

sa国际传媒淯nfair tariffs arensa国际传媒檛 just political theatre, theysa国际传媒檙e reckless policies that will close down mills and throw hundreds of Canadians out of work,sa国际传媒� Dias said. sa国际传媒淭his is completely unacceptable and Ottawa needs to push back hard against these heavy-handed tactics.sa国际传媒�

Dias said the tariffs have one goal in mind, to weaken Canadian paper manufactures for the benefit of U.S. producers.

sa国际传媒淯nifor has responded with a high profile campaign to fight back against Trump the bully,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檙e asking people to write to the federal Minister of Natural Resources Jim Carr to tell him that Canada has to hit back hard to protect our jobs.sa国际传媒�

Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns said he has been working behind the scenes with Catalyst Paper and the Prime Ministersa国际传媒檚 office to find a way to help the beleaguered paper company. He said the framework for the federal governmentsa国际传媒檚 softwood lumber aid package should be set within the month.

sa国际传媒淭his is an issue we need government to be fighting very aggressively over,sa国际传媒� Johns said from Ottawa. sa国际传媒淭his affects 600,000 jobs in the U.S. right now; itsa国际传媒檚 not just Canadian jobs that (trade tariffs) affect. These challenges donsa国际传媒檛 make sense. We need the prime minister to fight for us.sa国际传媒�

He said people donsa国际传媒檛 understand the seriousness of the situations and defended Uniforsa国际传媒檚 public campaign, saying itsa国际传媒檚 not alarmist to think that Catalyst may have to close its Vancouver Island plants.

sa国际传媒淚t is challenging right now. This is a company that cansa国际传媒檛 carry these heavy punitive duties, these penalties,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淭hey cansa国际传媒檛 sustain it forever.sa国际传媒�

In a statement released in March, Ned Dwyer, Catalystssa国际传媒檚 president and CEO called the U.S. trade action unwarranted and without merit.

sa国际传媒淓ven with the exemption of directory paper, the remaining anti-dumping and countervailing duties are onerous and a critical cost challenge for Catalyst,sa国际传媒� Dwyer said. sa国际传媒淭hey pose a threat to our competitiveness and the sustainability of our business and we will continue to vigorously defend ourselves against them.sa国际传媒�

Jon Lefebure, mayor the Municipality of North Cowichan where the Crofton mill is located, said increasing costs could drastically hamper Croftonsa国际传媒檚 profitability, leading to layoffs and even its complete closure.

sa国际传媒淚 think the mill can withstand these increased costs for awhile, but the fear is that if these punitive tariffs continue, the mill will be priced out of business,sa国际传媒� Lefebure said. sa国际传媒淭hatsa国际传媒檚 a major concern because the Crofton mill is the biggest employer in the region outside of School District 79.sa国际传媒�

Lefebure said the Crofton mill is such a big operation, running it full-time, even if it is taking financial losses, might be cheaper than shutting it down until its products are more financially viable in the marketplace.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 certainly a difficult economic situation for our mill,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 not a fair tariff and is not justified. Itsa国际传媒檚 really just a bully tactic. Catalyst has fought similar battles with unfair tariffs in the past, and we hope the company is successful again.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒� with a file from Susie Quinn, Alberni Valley News

robert.barron@cowichanvalleycitizen.com
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