Oil Sands Workers Fear Becoming Climate Change Casualties
Ken Smith is one frustrated oil sands labour leader. The giant wildfire that forced Fort McMurray's evacuation came as the Unifor Local 707A president was in the middle of contract negotiations, fighting to save bitumen mining jobs despite the tough times for oil companies.
But he found himself fleeing the flames along with thousands of others. Negotiations to protect the 3,450 Suncor workers he represents were put on hold.
"I really can't talk right now," he said in an interview from his truck May 3. "We are literally in bumper to bumper traffic. It's a disaster. I've never seen anything like it, nor want to."
The burly 55-year-old truck mechanic, who used to drive an 850-tonne hauler the size of an "apartment building," had been ordered to evacuate, along with everyone else.
Weeks earlier, The Tyee had interviewed Smith in the once-booming oil city about the impact of the lowest global oil prices in a generation on workers.
Even before the fire, the region had been bleeding thousands of jobs. The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers says about 40,000 industry jobs have vanished, as well as another 70,000 indirect jobs. Plunging oil prices resulted in the "the worst capital investment drop" ever, the association says.
The results could be seen everywhere in Fort McMurray.
Almost new furniture was left at the city's dump as out-of-province workers left in a hurry. A laid-off Suncor engineer was trying for a low-paid job at an electronics store. And the city's notorious traffic jams were noticeably lighter.
Oil Sands Workers Fear Becoming Climate Change Casualties - TheTyee.ca - Mobile
Ken Smith is one frustrated oil sands labour leader. The giant wildfire that forced Fort McMurray's evacuation came as the Unifor Local 707A president was in the middle of contract negotiations, fighting to save bitumen mining jobs despite the tough times for oil companies.
But he found himself fleeing the flames along with thousands of others. Negotiations to protect the 3,450 Suncor workers he represents were put on hold.
"I really can't talk right now," he said in an interview from his truck May 3. "We are literally in bumper to bumper traffic. It's a disaster. I've never seen anything like it, nor want to."
The burly 55-year-old truck mechanic, who used to drive an 850-tonne hauler the size of an "apartment building," had been ordered to evacuate, along with everyone else.
Weeks earlier, The Tyee had interviewed Smith in the once-booming oil city about the impact of the lowest global oil prices in a generation on workers.
Even before the fire, the region had been bleeding thousands of jobs. The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers says about 40,000 industry jobs have vanished, as well as another 70,000 indirect jobs. Plunging oil prices resulted in the "the worst capital investment drop" ever, the association says.
The results could be seen everywhere in Fort McMurray.
Almost new furniture was left at the city's dump as out-of-province workers left in a hurry. A laid-off Suncor engineer was trying for a low-paid job at an electronics store. And the city's notorious traffic jams were noticeably lighter.
Oil Sands Workers Fear Becoming Climate Change Casualties - TheTyee.ca - Mobile
