The new "National Unemployment Clock" made its first stop outside the Annual General Meeting of Telus Corp., at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa on May 7. With stops across the country, the clock will reach its permanent home in Vancouver on June 8.
John Carpenter, Vice President of the Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU), said the campaign intends to raise awareness across Canada about the dangers of allowing large international corporations - such as TELUS - to continue to offshore Canadian jobs. This practice, warned Carpenter, is a strong contributor to the unemployment crisis in Canada.
The Unemployment Clock, which offers a real-time count of job losses, is mounted on a truck for its cross-Canada journey. Along the way, street teams will hand out information brochures, buttons and bumper stickers, and ask citizens to sign a petition to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Minister of Labour Rona Ambrose.
"We are very concerned about large corporations, such as TELUS, who continue to eliminate jobs in Canada and move them to the Philippines and other overseas locations," said Carpenter, speaking in Ottawa. "The offshoring of jobs is a concern for many Canadians. Unemployment is at a seven-year high and yet big, profitable corporations are still taking jobs away from Canadians. Enough is enough. The message on the National Unemployment Clock truck says it all: If You're Proud To Be Canadian, Shouldn't You Be Proud To Hire Canadian?"
The campaign's website, http://www.keepjobsincanada.ca, features an online petition, ways to get involved, and contact information for local Members of Parliament. It also includes statistics and facts on unemployment, the ongoing issue of allowing large corporations to offshore jobs, the campaign travel schedule, and an interactive "Track the Truck" map following the road show.
As of this PV mailing date, the clock has completed its Ontario tour. In western Canada, tentative dates include: May 18, Winnipeg; May 22, Regina; May 24, Calgary; May 25, Red Deer; May 26, Edmonton; May 28, Prince George; June 1, Kamloops; June 2,3 Kelowna; June 5,8 Vancouver.
