Premier Danny Williams announced this morning the provincial government will provide financial benefits for workers displaced by the closure of the AbitibiBowater Mill in Grand Falls-Windsor.
Benefits to be provided will include severance for mill workers (unionized and non-unionized), silviculturists and loggers, and certain entitlements under the Work Force Reduction Program and Early Retirement Allowance program.
"Many of these individuals have given a lifetime of service to AbitibiBowater and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect in the face of this closure," Williams said. "In December of last year our government repatriated certain assets related to this mill as a result of the company having broken their contract to operate in this province. It is now only appropriate and fair that the workers are not left behind and disadvantaged by Abitibi's decision to close this operation.
"Given the unique circumstances of government having expropriated related assets, it is now proper and right that workers receive benefits from this repatriation particularly in the face of the company's inaction."
Williams said that, starting today, government will hold discussions with union representatives to facilitate the allocation of severances and other financial allowances to the former mill workers, and determine an appropriate severance for loggers and silviculturists.
Province to provide financial aid to displaced mill, forestry workers: Premier
- Published on May 19th, 2009
- Published on June 30th, 2010
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Staff ~ The Telegram
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Comments
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- Tom
- - July 2nd, 2010 at 13:34:14
First of all, hats off to Danny Williams, and Susan Sullivan.
1. I agree with all here that AB severance should not be paid from our tax dollars.
In fact, it is not. The severance was a benefit that was negotiated between the company and the unions. The management severance is part of company policy. The severance will come from the asset sale and not the tax payers money.
2. I hope that I have the same treatment from the government if my company shuts down.
For this to happen, you need to renegotiate your collective agreement or change your company's policy around severance (if any). Once done, then ensure that something belonging to your company is of value. If again positive, the government will have to expropriate these assets and use its value to negotiate against you former employer.
This was a smart move by the premier. He has now silenced the mill voices in Central by securing their severance and after leaving them with a down and out feeling, they now feel that their voice has been heard. However, the real challenge will come when the severance is spent and the Exploits region is in poverty. -
- Yolanda
- - July 2nd, 2010 at 13:33:41
ALL the money from expropriated assets (good move) belong to the taxpayers of Newfoundland and Labrador. The people who hijacked their own futures should take care of their own futures.
The public recognizes this as a subterfuge and publicity stunt by King Danny to soften his poor image at a time when a firestorm is about to sweep the health care crisis into biblical proportions.
Already my workplace is abuzz with anti-Danny sentiments. This one has pushed many people over the top. -
- Frank
- - July 2nd, 2010 at 13:29:21
I hope when and if I lose my job, the government will step in and give me a severance, in the event my former employer doesn't. Remember, the union voted against the company's offer and ever since they have been crying foul . I guess the union mentality continues by wanting both sides of their bread buttered.
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- Tax
- - July 2nd, 2010 at 13:26:15
I only hope that if the day comes when the company I work for shuts down because of hard economic times, that the government will also be there to assist me with severance and other benefits. This was a private matter between the private company and the workers and as such the government should have stayed away. It's a dangerous precedent they have set and we as taxpayers may be on the hook for a lot more than the severance for the Abitibi workers. They may have started an avalanche.
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- Jim
- - July 2nd, 2010 at 13:26:01
I hate it when the Premier is right. And, occasionally he is. He is correct when he says that workers deserve to be treated with dignity and respect . The question is when did Danny change his tune and begin to include dignity and respect in his communications strategy? This will be a first for our Premier, and maybe he can consider that approach to the overworked and undervalued nurses he continues to defecate on. Not holding my breath, though.
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- Bones
- - July 2nd, 2010 at 13:24:26
alex barret: The government is using money AB would have made anyway with this asset. This money would otherwise be in AB's back pocket right now!
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- Ken
- - July 2nd, 2010 at 13:24:18
The Loggers Union represented by CEP failed to negotiuate a pension for loggers. They opted for other benefits.. Now they get a pension at my expense. This govt. just left the union off the hook for bad negotiations. What a mess but Danny's the hero spending my money.
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- Good
- - July 2nd, 2010 at 13:23:53
Danny needs to keep the Unions out of this. This deal is between the ex-workers/residents of the Province and the Provincial Government. Why is a Union needed when NO work is being done? To protect the workers, now thats just way too funny looking at the past six months in this Province.
Union want to be in it just for the last few dollars they can grab? The Unions failed in the past to protect the workers, and have not used the millions of dollars collected from the workers pay to pay it forward to those that gave for so long.
Get these Unions OUT of this Province!!! -
- james
- - July 2nd, 2010 at 13:23:01
when danny explains it to you the people will fall in line as always
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- Dave
- - July 2nd, 2010 at 13:20:58
Everything I was reading sounded great until I reached the line about government holding discussions with union representatives. If there is anything that can go wrong with this, the union types will surely make it happen.
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- Brett
- - July 2nd, 2010 at 13:19:57
Alex - we have always been paying for failed companies, whether you're the guy who used to supply them and got stiffed on the last bill, or the person buying from the same supplier who has boosted prices to make up for the losses elsewhere.
It's just a question of paying as little as possible and making sure that those that leave things in shambles don't make off better than the people they leave to clean up the mess. -
- justa
- - July 2nd, 2010 at 13:19:28
Holy Crap!! What words of wisdom will come from this man next??
Severance pay for a defunct private company? So who will be the next to line up for this handout...I hear there is a call center in the province closing, so I get they will get a severance and pension too!
Government and Sir Danny cannot handle the needs of public employees, now they are weighing into the relam of private employees....This will be a disaster. You would think that NL government's would have learned a lesson from the TAGS programs of the '90's that had every fisherperson ever since demanding that the government owes them someone.
I feel for the employees of AB who were screwed over by their company, but this is NOT a public/taxpayer issue.
Guess Danny will try lots of 'feel good' tactics to avert the public eye from the crisis and chaos he has made of the health care system.
Laughable and incompetent you are Danny...Maybe when you go to Florida you should stay there and retire! -
- Don
- - July 2nd, 2010 at 13:18:05
Thank God for that!!
And for those of you who are against this payment. It is not coming out of taxpayers money. All the government is doing is giving the workers what is rightfully theirs. Instead of giving AbitibiBowater the full amount of the value of expropriated power and land, they will give them what it's worth .... less what the company owes the workers, instead of depending on the company to do the right thing when they receive their money.
Good going Danny!! -
- Les
- - July 2nd, 2010 at 13:16:46
What ? A bailout for former employees of a company who shut down due to the very same employees who voted themselves out of a job ?
I thought the premier ran the province like a business ? Why the handouts ?
If the gov't thinks the nurses should not have the 2 year EEL because they should have looked after themselves with disability insurance policies, why doesn't the same rationale apply to former AB workers ? Why couldn't they have prepared to look after themselves in case of such an event, like the rest of us ? The nurses only wanted 2 years EEL for working in a commonly dangerous and violent workplace, but AB workers get lifetime benefits ?
The rest of us working in private companies would never see such lucrative gov't benefits. What makes AB workers so special ? Was their contribution to NL more important than health care ?
Dignity and respect hey ? This sounds like a well-timed publicity stunt to make this gov't look reasonable - which they have not been the last 6 years while countless people have died due to seige-mentality upon the health care system.
Maybe this gov't IS running this province like a business. It's cheaper to throw my money at former AB workers than health care to garnish votes. -
- alex
- - July 2nd, 2010 at 13:09:46
we are now paying for failed companies what next
-
- Tom
- - July 1st, 2010 at 20:23:22
First of all, hats off to Danny Williams, and Susan Sullivan.
1. I agree with all here that AB severance should not be paid from our tax dollars.
In fact, it is not. The severance was a benefit that was negotiated between the company and the unions. The management severance is part of company policy. The severance will come from the asset sale and not the tax payers money.
2. I hope that I have the same treatment from the government if my company shuts down.
For this to happen, you need to renegotiate your collective agreement or change your company's policy around severance (if any). Once done, then ensure that something belonging to your company is of value. If again positive, the government will have to expropriate these assets and use its value to negotiate against you former employer.
This was a smart move by the premier. He has now silenced the mill voices in Central by securing their severance and after leaving them with a down and out feeling, they now feel that their voice has been heard. However, the real challenge will come when the severance is spent and the Exploits region is in poverty. -
- Yolanda
- - July 1st, 2010 at 20:22:28
ALL the money from expropriated assets (good move) belong to the taxpayers of Newfoundland and Labrador. The people who hijacked their own futures should take care of their own futures.
The public recognizes this as a subterfuge and publicity stunt by King Danny to soften his poor image at a time when a firestorm is about to sweep the health care crisis into biblical proportions.
Already my workplace is abuzz with anti-Danny sentiments. This one has pushed many people over the top. -
- Frank
- - July 1st, 2010 at 20:16:49
I hope when and if I lose my job, the government will step in and give me a severance, in the event my former employer doesn't. Remember, the union voted against the company's offer and ever since they have been crying foul . I guess the union mentality continues by wanting both sides of their bread buttered.
-
- Tax
- - July 1st, 2010 at 20:13:04
I only hope that if the day comes when the company I work for shuts down because of hard economic times, that the government will also be there to assist me with severance and other benefits. This was a private matter between the private company and the workers and as such the government should have stayed away. It's a dangerous precedent they have set and we as taxpayers may be on the hook for a lot more than the severance for the Abitibi workers. They may have started an avalanche.
-
- Jim
- - July 1st, 2010 at 20:12:41
I hate it when the Premier is right. And, occasionally he is. He is correct when he says that workers deserve to be treated with dignity and respect . The question is when did Danny change his tune and begin to include dignity and respect in his communications strategy? This will be a first for our Premier, and maybe he can consider that approach to the overworked and undervalued nurses he continues to defecate on. Not holding my breath, though.
-
- Bones
- - July 1st, 2010 at 20:10:06
alex barret: The government is using money AB would have made anyway with this asset. This money would otherwise be in AB's back pocket right now!
-
- Ken
- - July 1st, 2010 at 20:09:52
The Loggers Union represented by CEP failed to negotiuate a pension for loggers. They opted for other benefits.. Now they get a pension at my expense. This govt. just left the union off the hook for bad negotiations. What a mess but Danny's the hero spending my money.
-
- Good
- - July 1st, 2010 at 20:09:07
Danny needs to keep the Unions out of this. This deal is between the ex-workers/residents of the Province and the Provincial Government. Why is a Union needed when NO work is being done? To protect the workers, now thats just way too funny looking at the past six months in this Province.
Union want to be in it just for the last few dollars they can grab? The Unions failed in the past to protect the workers, and have not used the millions of dollars collected from the workers pay to pay it forward to those that gave for so long.
Get these Unions OUT of this Province!!! -
- james
- - July 1st, 2010 at 20:07:47
when danny explains it to you the people will fall in line as always
-
- Dave
- - July 1st, 2010 at 20:04:07
Everything I was reading sounded great until I reached the line about government holding discussions with union representatives. If there is anything that can go wrong with this, the union types will surely make it happen.
-
- Brett
- - July 1st, 2010 at 20:02:20
Alex - we have always been paying for failed companies, whether you're the guy who used to supply them and got stiffed on the last bill, or the person buying from the same supplier who has boosted prices to make up for the losses elsewhere.
It's just a question of paying as little as possible and making sure that those that leave things in shambles don't make off better than the people they leave to clean up the mess. -
- justa
- - July 1st, 2010 at 20:01:31
Holy Crap!! What words of wisdom will come from this man next??
Severance pay for a defunct private company? So who will be the next to line up for this handout...I hear there is a call center in the province closing, so I get they will get a severance and pension too!
Government and Sir Danny cannot handle the needs of public employees, now they are weighing into the relam of private employees....This will be a disaster. You would think that NL government's would have learned a lesson from the TAGS programs of the '90's that had every fisherperson ever since demanding that the government owes them someone.
I feel for the employees of AB who were screwed over by their company, but this is NOT a public/taxpayer issue.
Guess Danny will try lots of 'feel good' tactics to avert the public eye from the crisis and chaos he has made of the health care system.
Laughable and incompetent you are Danny...Maybe when you go to Florida you should stay there and retire! -
- Don
- - July 1st, 2010 at 19:59:12
Thank God for that!!
And for those of you who are against this payment. It is not coming out of taxpayers money. All the government is doing is giving the workers what is rightfully theirs. Instead of giving AbitibiBowater the full amount of the value of expropriated power and land, they will give them what it's worth .... less what the company owes the workers, instead of depending on the company to do the right thing when they receive their money.
Good going Danny!! -
- Les
- - July 1st, 2010 at 19:56:56
What ? A bailout for former employees of a company who shut down due to the very same employees who voted themselves out of a job ?
I thought the premier ran the province like a business ? Why the handouts ?
If the gov't thinks the nurses should not have the 2 year EEL because they should have looked after themselves with disability insurance policies, why doesn't the same rationale apply to former AB workers ? Why couldn't they have prepared to look after themselves in case of such an event, like the rest of us ? The nurses only wanted 2 years EEL for working in a commonly dangerous and violent workplace, but AB workers get lifetime benefits ?
The rest of us working in private companies would never see such lucrative gov't benefits. What makes AB workers so special ? Was their contribution to NL more important than health care ?
Dignity and respect hey ? This sounds like a well-timed publicity stunt to make this gov't look reasonable - which they have not been the last 6 years while countless people have died due to seige-mentality upon the health care system.
Maybe this gov't IS running this province like a business. It's cheaper to throw my money at former AB workers than health care to garnish votes. -
- alex
- - July 1st, 2010 at 19:45:17
we are now paying for failed companies what next
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