To the editor:
Re: "CEO accuses city councillors of meddling in lockout," July 29.
So COPE and Vision Vancouver councillors have decided to show their support for locked out Rocky Mountaineer employees. Many would object to such political intervention and indeed the company's owner, Peter Armstrong has voiced his objections to his employee's being used as "pawns."
I am a former onboard attendant and former Vancouver resident. Over the past days I have walked the picket lines with his lockedout employees. What Mr. Armstrong doesn't realize is that it was his employees that have asked for help from their political representatives, and not politicians taking advantage of Mr. Armstrong's locked-out onboard attendants.
His company has locked them out and employed scab labour. This is illegal under B.C. law. However, his company's railway falls under federal legislation whose presumable intent is to protect rail transportation as critical infrastructure. While this federal statute protects Rocky Mountaineer, the company insists that the locked-out onboard attendants agree to circumvent their right under federal labour law to receive overtime after eight hours of work in a day. The manner in which Armstrong's company has employed scab labour demonstrates a disingenuous attempt to negotiate.
It is comical to suggest em-ployees are being exploited by politicians when, in light of the unjust and unethical behaviour of the company, they were forced to resort to seeking the voice of elected officials in order to be heard.
Having worked for Mr. Armstrong, I do believe the sincerity of his concern that his employees are being exploited, even if he is unaware that it is his company rather than politicians who are exploiting them. I hope that he will soon move to have his company maintain integrity with his own personal values and concern for his workers. To do so, his company needs to eliminate the use of scab labour and in good faith return to the bargaining table.
Ted Noakes, Edmonton, Alta.
