Open Letter to Premier Clark on the Future of Catalyst Paper

June 11, 2012

The Honourable Christy Clark
Premier of British Columbia
 

June 4, 2012

Re: The Future of Catalyst Paper

I am writing as the President of the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union, Local 378, to urge you to protect the jobs and pensions of Catalyst Paper workers. Our union represents four workers at Catalyst, but even more importantly three coastal communities rely heavily on Catalyst jobs for their economic survival.

Regardless of whether the provincial government could have acted sooner to prevent Catalyst’s bankruptcy, there is no question that urgent action is required today. 1,700 British Columbians are employed in Catalyst’s mills and the company generates 7,000 indirect jobs and $2 billion per year of economic activity for the province.

We hope your meeting with Catalyst executives last week is a precursor to changes that will protect Catalyst jobs and the 1,500 pensions that could be drastically reduced if the firm closes down or is sold.

Thank you for your action on this very important issue.

Sincerely,

David Black
President, MoveUP