Temporary foreign worker update

Spectre of racism raised

VANCOUVER - Debate? Or hate?
The use of temporary workers from China at a northern B.C. coal mine has sparked a court fight, duelling versions of events, a federal review and a great deal of discussion.
And that's good, says Victor Wong of the Chinese-Canadian National Council.
But the issue around HD Mining International Ltd.'s decision to bring in the foreign workers for its Murray River coal mine near Tumbler Ridge, B.C., also highlights an "anti-China bias" that threatens to descend into plain, old-fashioned racism, he said.

Dehua shuts separate project over temporary worker concerns

VANCOUVER - One of the companies behind a plan to bring Chinese workers to a coal mine in B.C. has shut down a separate project due to a legal challenge over foreign worker permits.

Steelworkers protest over issues of Canadian jobs and safety for temporary foreign workers in BC coal mines

PRINCE GEORGE - Members of the Steelworkers Union protest outside the Prince George office of Pat Bell, Minister of Jobs and Skills Training. Tension grew last week in the wake of hundreds of temporary foreign workers being hired by HD Mining International for initial work on a long wall project for the company's Murray River mine.

Steelworkers put Liberal MLA Bill Bennett on notice during protest

CRANBROOK –Steelworkers from the East Kootenays speak loudly Wednesday about the Christy Clark government’s BC Jobs Plan, plus serve a notice of eviction to Liberal MLA Bill Bennet to take effect election day 2013.

HD Mining appeals unions standing in judicial review

VANCOUVER - The company bringing workers from China for its northern B.C. coal mine has filed an appeal of a Federal Court ruling granting two unions the right to pursue a judicial review of the decision to grant the temporary foreign worker permits.