September 6, 2017 at 4:04:59 PM EDT
To whom it may concern:
Would you please forward the following e-mail to the President of Algoma Central Corporation, Mr Ken Bloch Soerensen:
Dear Mr. President:
The Canada Europe Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) will be implemented on 21/9/17; In reading a response from C.S.L. on this subject (see below), it troubled me that many non-mariners may harbour misconceptions with regard to the manner in which Canadian seafarers will respond to the effects of the Treaty.
In the 2nd paragraph of Mme. Hebert’s reply, she states that Members of the Canadian Shipowners Association were not made aware of the contents or manner of Implementation of CETA prior to its’ ratification: Regardless of whether they were aware of these or not, the response of Canadian Sailors to its’ effects on them may likely be based on “Cui bono?-Who benefits?”.
The 1st major maritime employment contract offer to be voted on in Canada (a few days after CETA’s ratification on 16/5/17) included salary and benefit cuts for mariners at C.S.L. Self-Unloaders division: It did not escape some that this may have had much to do with CETA granting Maritime Cabotage Rights for all ports in Canada to generally low wage, Flag of Convenience European registered ships (CETA Chapter 14, Article 3, Section 2) which are only mostly temporarily suspended by Reservation II-C-14, possibly the easiest way to revoke a clause in an International Treaty, as well it may at any time, since no permission from European Authorities or further assent from the Parliament of Canada is required to do so. This may well reflect in the rest of the employment contract Votes this year for the 3 largest maritime shipping companies in Canada, including Algoma, as well as all future ones
That, upon CETA’s Implementation on 21/9/17, Canadian Shipowners are granted, in perpetuity, the twin privileges of being able to reduce Canadian seafarers wages and benefits through the possibility of the withdrawal of Reservation II-C-14, including the disappearance of thousands of Canadian seafaring jobs through restoring the Maritime Cabotage Rights granted in CETA’s Article 14-3.2 (by admitting low wage European ships to all Canadian ports) have been public knowledge for months, if not years, notably to seafarers , including Algoma’s, who have, as elsewhere, been learning of them in growing numbers.
Regardless of whether Shipowners initially knew of them or not, Seafarers are becoming so now: The misunderstanding with regard to the attribution of blame possibly implied in Mme Hebert’s e-mail for the consequences of the Maritime Provisions of CETA was such that I was prompted to inform her of them immediately: Blame for CETA’s effects on themselves by Canadian seafarers and the public may likely center on shipping companies such as Algoma, rather than on government.
Marc de Villers,
Wheelsman, “Camilla Desgagnes”,
CDN63142X,