On this week's Not Rex, Humberto DaSilva reports on the U.S. Steel purchase of a Hamilton plant and the resulting impacts on its workers:
U.S. "Steal" bought Stelco plant in Hamilton, Ontario for the amount Stelco had underfunded its pension plan. U.S. Steel promised the deal would be a "net benefit" to Canada. But now the workers of the U.S. Steel plant are locked out and all production has shifted south of the border. So what's the government doing? Not much. Oh well, at least someone is writing labour verse again.
This video can be found at rabbletv's YouTube channel
No matter if Hamilton wants to admit it or not, steel is what built Hamilton & continues to be it's major industry. If we listen to the wealthy & priviledged few who 'run Hamilton', & claim that,
"Soon we will be able to have a prosperous future, if we can only turn back the clock 50 years."
No unions, no minimum wage, no labour standards, & no protection for pension(ers) is what these people think will be Hamilton's salvation. ("Hamilton can 'out-cheap' most other Ontario cities, in terms of rent, taxes, & labour costs." ??? hmmmm...)
I don't think so. Outsourcing has put an end to that. No matter how hard people work for a tiny pittance, we will never be able to hard scramble the way a 3rd. World person can, nor should we, nor should the 3rd. World person for that matter.
In terms of new business' & investment, Hamilton has a lot to learn. 'Cheap' only cuts a few corners. A Straight Forward Business Friendly atmosphere would do a lot more to win investors, & influence people to move their business' here. A lot of the layers of self indugence, required ass kissing, & the usual nonscence implied by feudalism & nepotism need to go away too.
It's Not going to happen any time soon!