Year of the Knife

The year was 1989. The Berlin Wall fell, and so did the fortunes of National Defence. In May UNDE was shocked by the government announcement that over a dozen bases, involving many hundreds of members, were to close in next few years. It was time for immediate action on the part of the Union.

A joint UNDE/PSAC Committee was formed to fight base closures. In June PSAC adopted an UNDE resolution to provide $100,000 in funding. Bus trips and mass rallies at various sites across the country followed close at hand.

An UNDE resolution, via the New Democratic Party, asked the Government to cease the closure programme until a committee investigated all the ramifications to the involved communities and concerned individuals, and reported back to the House of Commons. It fell on deaf ears. So too did a direct letter to the Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney.

A conference of the five Atlantic Locals being closed was held in October to tell the participants how to handle inquiries from members receiving their layoff notices. The topics covered Workforce Adjustment Procedure, handling stress and employment prospects in their regions.

A full summary of what happened over the summer months revealed that the fate of some members was clear. However, in many other cases the Government's poor planning left many people in a cruel state of unnecessary angst. UNDE left no stone unturned in an attempt to improve benefits for the laid off workers.

By the time the dust settled, 14 sites and more than 1,200 employees would be affected. CFS Barrington, Sydney, Mont Apica and Holberg were to close 31 July 1990. CFB North Bay, Winnipeg, Gander and Rockliffe greatly downsized over the next five years; CFB Chatham, Moncton and Penhold drastically reduced. CFB Summerside, London and Portage la Prairie closed in the near future.