Union takes aim at politicians

The Telegram (St. John's)
Sun 14 Aug 2005

If efforts to maintain the viability of 5 Wing Goose Bay are to be successful, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) - which represents some 300 workers at the base - says a more united and vocal stand is needed from all the province's politicians, not just those in Labrador.

Jeannie Baldwin, the regional executive vice-president for PSAC, is worried about the future of workers on the base and the workers in other federal departments who count on activities at the base, but also about Happy Valley-Goose Bay and surrounding communities.

Because the base is in Labrador, and despite its lucrative, long- standing contribution to provincial and federal coffers, she said there's not enough uproar being created at the political level to make the issue a priority.

"Shame on government if they are not out there being vocal - yes we have MPs, but I don't see much of their action," Baldwin, a native Newfoundlander, told The Telegram. "They're kind of hoping this is going to go away, but it's not going away - we're going to be lobbying the politicians and doing everything possible to bring it right to the forefront because it is totally unacceptable what is happening here.

"Newfoundland MPs will say, 'Oh, that's Labrador, that's not my region.' I'll tell you something right now - what affects one part of the province affects people in all parts of the province. I don't care which part of the province you're from."

PSAC is spearheading a campaign to reinstate the weather office in Gander. Baldwin said the weather office issue shows a sharp contrast to the Goose Bay issue in that all the province's federal and provincial politicians are vocally on the weather office bandwagon.

If that same province-wide commitment were shown for Labrador's air base, Baldwin figures things might be working out a little differently.

"I look at some of the things that happen where you have more of a collaborative approach where labour leaders and politicians at the provincial and federal level try to save what's left - but I'm not hearing them come out on Goose Bay. ... I'd like to see them take more of a vocal stand than what they have," she said.

"People have to realize the community was built around the base. It seems the federal government just comes into communities in Newfoundland and Labrador, they suck them dry for what they're worth and then just disappear. ... It's really sad."

Baldwin said PSAC and the Union of National Defence Employees (UNDE) have been "lobbying hard" on the Goose Bay issue, but said they're getting nowhere.

"Most of the politicians are sick of seeing our faces," she said. "You go in and ask them what they have been doing. UNDE have presented options to National Defence hoping something would come around that, but I'm telling you the truth, they are not even looking at options right now."

She also charges the federal government with actively promoting "empire building," and said MPs in positions of advanced power are using influence to lure business away from weaker political places like Labrador to their own ridings, instead of following a collective national approach.

"Look at what they're saying about training going out to Cold Lake in Alberta and look at some of the politicians who are part of the decision making. ... I believe this government is empire building and not necessarily meeting the needs of Canadians across Canada.

"It's like chess - someone said, 'I want that in my region,' and whoever has the most influence wins."

One place Baldwin said blame won't be placed is on the community in Goose Bay, which has been fighting hard to find ways to preserve the often-proclaimed "economic engine" of central Labrador. Stakeholders, including the Goose Bay Citizens' Coalition, she said, are doing everything they can to "make it happen," but the response from military and political leaders has been underwhelming.

"The drive in that community is there, no question about it, but I'm not sure if the willingness of the politicians or the federal government is there, which is a sad thing to say - I don't even see them wanting to work with us," Baldwin said. "The reason they are not closing it is because of the community support around it. It's because the members of the community are being so vocal. If they were being quiet, they'd just go in and close it.

"I really believe there's a lot of fighters up there and they won't let the base close without a battle."