Please take a minute to sign the petition at CanadaCausesCancer.com, calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to end Canada’s production and export of asbestos.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees joined several other unions in issuing this statement calling for a ban on Canadian exports of asbestos.
A delegation from Asia representing asbestos victims, trade unions and health organizations is in Ottawa today calling for the ban of all Canadian exports of asbestos.
Ban Asbestos Canada and its supporting organizations which represent workers from across Canada, stands in full solidarity with our sisters and brothers from the Asia Solidarity Delegation to Canada.
We call on the Canadian government to end all exports of asbestos to south Asia, Mexico, and the global south. We condemn efforts to expand and reopen the Jeffrey mine in Quebec. Tonnes of exported Quebec asbestos will kill tens of thousands of workers around the world.
We call on Premier Charest of Quebec to reject the asbestos industry demands for $58 million of Quebec taxpayer funds to expand their deadly trade. Support for such a project is indefensible and flies in the face of Quebeckers sense of social justice and environmental sustainability. We urge you instead to commit these public funds towards economic development and transition for the affected mining communities of Quebec.
On behalf of Ban Asbestos Canada,
Anthony Pizzino, Canadian Union of Public Employees
Laura Lozanski, Canadian Association of University Teachers
Larry Stoffman, United Food and Commercial Workers Canada
Sari Sairanen, Canadian Auto Workers
Wayne Peppard, BC & Yukon Building Trades Council
Dennis St. Jean, Public Service Alliance of Canada
- Visit the Ban Asbestos Canada (BAC) Website