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At the New Democratic Policy Convention, as Ken Neumann spoke, the crowd of 1,500 rose to their feet and thunderously endorsed a resolution supporting the Canadian workers striking at Vale Inco and locked-out at U.S. Steel.

In the emergency resolution passed unanimously yesterday, the New Democrats declared “total support for the United Steelworkers members locked out by U.S. Steel or on strike against Vale Inco.”

In his keynote speech, Leo Gerard, International President of the United Steelworkers, said “the massively profitable Vale Inco is trying to use the global economic situation to destroy what Canadian workers and families have built over decades.”

The convention called on “the government of Canada to take all actions necessary to hold Vale Inco and U.S. Steel to the promises they made to secure permission to buy control of Canadian companies.”

Vale Inco has been allowed to ship out Canada’s wealth, jobs and communities hope, without giving back to Canadians and our families. “The only way that happened is because our government didn’t stand up for Canada, our government didn’t stand up for Canada’s resources, didn’t stand up for Canadian workers, and didn’t stand up for our future, or the future of our kids and grandkids,” explained Gerard.

“The heartless action being taken by Vale and U.S. Steel show that the Canadian government has failed in protecting Canadian workers and Canadian communities. The Harper government has allowed massive foreign companies to come in and buy-up Canada’s resources and key industries without doing what the law says the government must do, which is to make sure any take-over is a “net benefit for Canada”, said Ken Neumann, United Steelworkers, National Director for Canada.

“Canada’s livelihoods and future are being shipped overseas while the federal government is asleep at the wheel, …and that’s the most generous interpretation possible of Stephen Harper and Tony Clement’s actions,” said Neumann.

The NDP also pledged to “redouble [their] efforts to campaign for new rules limiting and regulating foreign investment in Canada to truly ensure that any such investment is a benefit to the country and its people.”

 More information can be found at: www.fairdealnow.ca

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Contact: Bob Gallagher, 416-434-2221 / bgallagher@usw.ca /