Within this province we have seen an influx over the years of foreign workers taking employment from skilled Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. As it stands Newfoundland and Labrador currently has the highest rate of unemployment in Canada and traditionally lagged behind the rest of the country in employment numbers.

Various industries have manipulated the current system to demand false qualifications so that they may bring their own employees from both outside of the province and outside of Canada to complete work that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians could readily perform. There have been industrial companies arriving within our borders with workers less capable and less qualified than our own workforce. Why are our own residents, our own taxpayers, denied these opportunities?

Why are there wall to wall agreements being signed with companies from Alberta undermining local trade unions? Why is our provincial Government signing away offshore oil, our offshore oil, without ensuring the rigs and equipment is made here in our province? Why are they allowed to speak about all the “fine work being done” when most of the fabrication has been sent away to Texas, South Korea, and anywhere else but Newfoundland and Labrador?

It’s time we tell our politicians that this has to stop. It’s time to tell the provincial government and the federal government that this cannot go on. With all our resources from Oil and Gas; to Minerals; to Energy generation we should be moving forwards, not backwards.

Sign this petition if you believe projects in Newfoundland and Labrador should employ Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Sign this petition if you’re tired of seeing our economy lag behind the rest of the country. Sign this petition if you’re sick of hearing ‘we can’t build that here’ knowing damn well that we can!

Thank you for your support.