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E-mail From Transport Minister Marc Garneau

 

Monsieur,

Je donne suite à votre courriel du 19 octobre dernier dans lequel vous exprimez vos préoccupations à l’égard de l’incidence de l’Accord économique et commercial global entre le Canada et l’Union européenne sur les gens de mer canadiens.

Comme vous l’indiquez dans votre courriel, l’Accord économique et commercial global permettra de libéraliser les activités maritimes au Canada. Plus précisément, les entités de l’Union européenne auront l’autorisation de redéployer les conteneurs vides, loués ou leur appartenant, qui sont transportés sur une base non commerciale entre les ports du Canada. De plus, ils pourront fournir des services de dragage pour le compte d’entreprises privées ainsi que des services de collecte entre les ports d’Halifax et de Montréal.

Les services de collecte ne comprennent pas le fret qui provient du Canada et qui est destiné au marché canadien. Ils doivent être offerts après l’importation ou avant l’exportation. De plus, la prestation des services de collecte est uniquement permise entre les ports d’Halifax et de Montréal. Je vous précise que tous les types de fret peuvent être transportés dans le cadre d’un service continuel en utilisant des navires immatriculés au registre national d’un État membre de l’Union européenne. Si un voyage en aller simple est entrepris, seul le fret conteneurisé est permis en utilisant des navires immatriculés au registre national ou international d’un État membre admissible de l’Union européenne.

Les entités de l’Union européenne qui sont situées dans des tiers pays (qui ne sont ni au Canada ni dans un État membre de l’Union européenne) peuvent uniquement utiliser des navires immatriculés dans un État membre de l’Union européenne pour fournir les services susmentionnés.

En ce qui concerne l’armement en équipage, la situation actuelle demeurera telle quelle. Pour travailler au Canada, les travailleurs étrangers temporaires continueront d’avoir besoin d’un permis de travail et une étude d’impact sur le marché du travail devra être effectuée, sauf sur avis contraire.

 

En espérant que ces renseignements auront permis d’éclaircir certains aspects de l’Accord économique et commercial global, je vous prie d’agréer, Monsieur, l’expression de mes sentiments les meilleurs.

L’honorable Marc Garneau, C.P., député

Ministre des Transports

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E-Mail Correspondence with e-mail from Professor van Harten of Osgoode Law School, University of Toronto

Dear Maitre van Harten:
As a professional seafarer who’s worked on Canadian ships over 40 years, I was invited on 4/4/17 to testify on Thursday, 13/4.17 at 1130 am before the Senate-Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade Inquiry into Bill C-30, on the effects of C.E.T.A.’s Maritime Provisions on the ships and sailors of Canada’s Merchant Marine.
A day after providing a written copy of my intended testimony (10/4/17, see below), the Invitation was withdrawn.
Should you feel inclined, could you tell me, though I have no legal training, whether:
1. Article 3, subparagraph 2 of the Maritime Transport Chapter of C.E.T.A. (14-3.2?) gives European ships Cabotage Rights to any port in Canada.
2. Reservation II-C-14 suspends most of those Rights, leaving the transport of international cargo between Montreal and Halifax only ( besides dredging and carrying empty containers to any Canadian port).
3. That Reservation II-C-14 is not only revocable but by it’s legal nature it is the easiest type of Clause to revoke, as it is unilaterally included in a Treaty and needs not the consent of other Parties to be removed.
4. That the threat of this revocability will hang over the heads of Canadian seafarers, if not shipping companies alike (as the former may fear rejecting whatever is offered by the last could trigger such a withdrawal).
Should any of these concerns be correct, as a sailor and thousands of my colleagues, we may be shortly faced with threats that were not touched upon by any of the Maritime panelists.
Sincerely,
Marc de Villers,
Helmsman, M.V. “Camilla Desgagnes”,
CDN63142X,
Dear Professor Van Harten:
By now, you have probably heard that the Senate-Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, inquiring into Bill C-30, passed it without amendments on 10/5/17 with a 2 page list of “Observations” (not “Recommendations”), where Maritime considerations were foremost (observation 7 was mentioned) with the Chair saying that  amendments would have to be made (video capture on sen.vu on the Senate-Committee government site, 10/5/17, 30 minutes long) attached and that the Bill was passed the very next day by the Senate, without amendments.
Though the Senate-Committee was told that:
1. Reservation II-C-14 in CETA would restore, should it be revoked, Maritime Cabotage Rights to Low wage, Flag of Convenience operated European ships to all ports in Canada (in Intended testimony before the Committee withdrew it’s Invitation, and in a written Brief submitted to the Committee Wednesday, 3/5/17).
Should Reservation II-C-14 be revoked, Canadian ships and their Canadian crews will not be able to compete with these low wage (and, in many cases, low standard) ships, may be reflagged (with Canadian crews dismissed and Flag of Convenience ones retained) or disappear along with their thousands of Canadian seafaring jobs.
Otherwise, the threat of possible withdrawal of Reservation II-C-14 will hang over the heads of Canadian sailors, pushing them to accept low offers from Canadian ship-operators such as the one from C.S.L. Self-Unloaders voted on last week,mere days after Royal Assent of Bill C-30 and CETA was proclaimed 16/5/17 and will seem to be the norm for seafarer employment contracts from Canada’s 3 largest Maritime Shipping companies ( Canada  Steamship Lines, Algoma Central Marine and Desgagnes Transport) voted on over the rest of the year.
Canadian seafarers have not had a notable strike since 1966 and talk is that if the contract is rejected, a 72 hour strike could follow.
2. Clause 92, sections 2.3 and 2.4 of Bill C-30, which grant exemptions to European ship-owners from complying with the Canadian Temporary Foreign Worker Program ( which would grant median Canadian wages to foreign seafarers) while engaged on Maritime Cabotage in Canada on Routes granted under CETA (Halifax-Montreal Corridor with International Cargo and any Canadian port transporting empty containers) were not mentioned by James Givens, President of the S.I.U. of Canada, or any of the other Maritime representatives on the Panel, leaving the Senators with the mistaken impression that foreign seafarers on such ships would be paid Canadian wages ( pointed out in a written Brief submitted to The Committee 3/5/17 and again to all 15 Individual Members on 1/5/17 and 5/5/17).
Since the Committee refused to recommend that the Senate consider withholding approval of Bill C-30 until weaknesses in CETA are revised or withdrawn and that its’ “Observations” were disregarded by the Senate the following day, Canadian sailors are greatly at risk from CETA (90% or more potential damage here) and Bill C-30:
I request posting your 1st e-mail to me, as well as my initial e-mail with queries on the subject on the CETA sinks ships” website and in public forums (social media).
Efforts from many continue to attempt to inform the Canadian Public and affected groups, here and elsewhere, of CETAs’ unpublicized likely effects, as do yours.
My 2e-mails to Mme. Cobb at Unifor went unresponded to.
Sincerely,
Marc de Villers,
Wheelsman, M.V. “Camilla Desgagnes”,
CDN63142X,

Dear Mr. De Villers,

Thank you for keeping me updated. I congratulate you for looking diligently at these details. The CETA is a massive agreement and difficult to access and analyze.

I have not looked closely enough at the maritime cabotage provisions to offer more than a tentative comment, but your analysis appears reliable to me based on a quick review. I am also not surprised that non-reciprocal concessions were made in this area and agree that you and others should be wary of the expansion of such concessions under the CETA and other trade agreements.

For ordinary Canadians, there are always devils in the details of these agreements. They are not really about free trade anymore, as most of us think of it, but rather about accelerating a race to the bottom for workers, giving multinationals special protections against the costs of regulation, and helping to shift wealth upwards. The CETA has various provisions that show how rules of the global economy are being re-written to favour the biggest and wealthiest players at the expense of the rest of us.

From what I have examined closely, the CETA was very badly negotiated by the Harper government and then more or less rubber stamped by the Liberal government (outside of the investment chapter, where the Liberals accepted changes that the Europeans wanted), which falsely re-branded the deal as “progressive”. Unfortunately, our parliamentary trade committees appear more focused on doing the government’s bidding and looking out for business interests of exporters and multinationals in Canada, rather than the wider national interest. I have seen little good come from these committees in contrast to other legislative processes in Europe and the U.S.

For those who may feel dispirited about how the present and previous government have handled the CETA or other trade deals, I suggest a simple step is always to vote for someone other than a Liberal or Conservative. I say so having in the past financially supported various political parties including Liberals and Progressive Conservatives. Of course, you will have thought of this option and are rightly looking at other ways to influence governments. We have a long road to walk.

You are welcome to share this message or my earlier one, as you prefer.

best wishes,
Gus

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E-mail to Minister-President of Wallonia

 

Cher Mr. le Ministre-President:

Merci d’avoir donne voix, vous et le peuple de la Wallonie, aux severes defaillances de l’A.E.C.G. et d’avoir alerte l’Europe, le Canada et le monde des vrais enjeux de l’Accord et dont la responsabilite de le faire, nous attendions tous, aurait ete assumee par les Grands de l’Europe et d’ailleurs (France, Allemagne, Canada…).

Je suis marin Canadien: Pendant que notre bateau, le “Camilla Desgagnes”, etait dans l’Arctique Canadien en debut d’Octobre dernier, j’ai demande a notre syndicat si je devais faire venir une releve dans le Nord pour que moi et d’autres puissent accompagner une Delegation (tout a nos frais) a Bruxelles pour temoigner a l’Europe que l’A.E.C.G. est tout aussi nefaste pour le Canada que les autres; A mon grand dam, j’ai decouvert que notre syndicat n’avait meme pas envoye une Delegation ni n’avait demande a ses membres de le faire; A la Baie des feuilles ( Baie d’Ungava), fin Octobre, comme nous etions a notre derniere escale, j’ai demande au Capitaine du bateau de quitter ( comme ils auraient moins besoin de moi) pour aller a Bruxelles avant la Signature; Il m’en a deconseille, car il y aurait eu peu que je ne puisses faire pour changer le resultat.

Grace a l’Alerte que vous nous avez tous donne, beaucoup se sont actives au Canada, en Europe et meme ailleurs, ayant realises que nous nepouvions pas dependre sur d’autres pour faire ce que nous devions faire nous memes sur une si grande Question.

Depuis le retour de notre bateau en debut Novembre, j’ai emis plus d’une demi-douzaine de Communiques de Presse aux grands journaux Canadiens ( La Presse, le Devoir, Toronto Globe and Mail, Montreal Gazette etc.) et autres a divers points nevralgiques du cheminement de l’A.E.C.G. (sous la Loi C-30) a travers le Parlement Canadien.

Dernierement (4/4/17), j’ai ete invite par le Comite Senatorial des Affaires Etrangeres et du Commerce International, enquetant sur la Loi C-30, a temoigner le Jeudi, 13/4/17 a 1130, afin de temoigner au-devant de lui sur les effets des Provisions Maritimes de l’A.E.C.G. sur les marins et bateaux de la Marine Marchande Canadienne, si la Loi C-30 (et l’A.E.C.G.) devait etre approuvee sans revision.

Un jour apres avoir communique une copie ecrite de mon temoignage-voulu (10/4/17), le Comite m’a retire l’ Invitation.

Ci-bas vous trouverez a gauche mon temoignage-voulu au devant du Comite, au centre une version plus claire des dangers qui guettent la Marine Marchande Canadienne et ses marins si l’A.E.C.G. est approuvee dans sa forme presente et, a droite, des citations des Senateurs et leurs questions en Seance sur les questions Maritimes (6/4/17 a 1030 et 13/4/17 a 1130), suggerant, entre autre, que les Provisions Maritimes de l’A.E.C.G. peuvent etre tres largement agrandis sans aucun Debat ni Approbation additionelles du Parlement Canadien, jusqu’a provoquer la disparition des bateaux Canadiens et de milliers d’emplois marins.

Les textes sont en Anglais, langue de la Chaire du Comite et de la plupart de ses membres.

Si les Provisions Maritimes de l’A.E.C.G. sont approuvees sans revision, au pire la Marine Marchande Canadienne disparaitra ainsi que ses milliers d’emplois et au mieux, les marins Canadiens travailleront dans des conditions de travail et de renumeration rabaisse au plus bas.

Selon les etudes sur les effets de l’A.E.C.G. sur le Canada et l’Europe dans les autres secteurs qui portent a l’inquietude, suggere que ces faiblesses, sinon trahisons de la majorite des Canadiens et Europeens doivent etre au-moins revisees, sinon retirees.

La Wallonie a deja jouee un grand role dans ce drame en alertant la majorite des pays des dangers a leur souverainete et la securite de leurs populations et on ne s’attend a rien d’autre que la Wallonie regle la situation au meilleur resultat pour ses citoyens: A nous et aux autres de jouer maintenant le Role que nous devions jouer depuis le Debut.

Chaleureux Remerciements!

Marc de Villers,

Timonier, “Camilla Desgagnes”,

CDN63142X,

514-404-6008.

 

Cher Monsieur De Villers,

Je vous confirme notre plus grande vigilance sur le CETA. Si l’ensemble des conditions énoncées lors de la signature de la Belgique en octobre dernier ne devaient pas être rencontrées, je proposerai au Parlement de Wallonie de ne pas ratifier ce accord de commerce et d’investissement.

Cordialement,

Paul Magnette

 

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2 Minute Version of CETA’s Effects on Canadian Sailors

This is the 2-minute version of what will happen to Canadian sailors if the Senate approves Bill C-30 (CETA) as is and comes into application on Canada Day 1/7/17:
1. Low wage European ships ( Some foreign sailors paid as little as $1.26/hour on foreign ships according to Senate-Committee testimony on 13/4/17) can trade between any Canadian port due to Maritime Cabotage Rights granted in CETA’s Maritime Transport Chapter ( See “CETA text” on-line at international .gc, Chapter 14, only 5 pages long.) in Chapter 14, Article 3 (Obligations), paragraph 2 ( “A Party will permit… the other Party to supply feeder services between the ports of that Party.”).
2. Most of this is only temporarily suspended by Reservation II-C-14 (page1209 and1210 of CETA.), which still lets low-wage foreign ships carry international cargo between Montreal and Halifax and empty containers between all Canadian ports. This gives the false impression that low-wage foreign ships are only granted these Routes and no others under CETA.
3. Reservation II-C-14 can be revoked at any time, restoring Maritime Cabotage Rights to low-wage foreign ships to trade between all Canadian ports granted in the Maritime Transport Chapter of CETA without any further permission needed from Europe or further Debate or Approval from the Parliament of Canada.
4. You may also have noticed that employment contracts between seafarers and maritime shipping companies, including the 3 largest (C.S.L., Algoma and Desgagnes Transport) were only due to be concluded after Bill C-30 and CETA were approved in the House on 8/2/17 and over the course of the rest of the year. This may have resulted in the C.S.L. Self-Unloaders contract, perhaps the 1st to be offered since CETA would be implemented, being an indication of what is to come, due to fear of Reservation II-C-14 being revoked and Canada being flooded with cheap foreign ships.
4. For the Montreal-Halifax Corridor: President Givens told members at the quarterly meeting of the S.I.U. of Canada, Montreal Chapter, on 6/3/17 that Canadian sailors would be able to work on these ships for Canadian wages and that such foreign sailors remaining would also get Canadian pay, as well as telling the Senate-Committee that foreign ships will have to obtain Temporary Foreign Worker permits for their seafarers (permitting them to be paid Canadian wages while on Routes granted by CETA).
Exemptions granted to European ships carrying international cargo ( which is the vast majority of what ships carry in Canada) in t version he Corridor and empty containers between any Canadian port) in Clause 92 , paragraphs 2.3 and 2.4 of Bill C-30, means they do not have to do so.
Not only need they not obtain Temporary Foreign Worker permits for their sailors, no Labor Market Impact Assessment (M.L.I.A.) need be done, therefore no Canadians will have a chance at these jobs, except for residual domestic cargo.
5. President Givens has been asked to tell the Senate-Committee of these exemptions, in case the Senators have the false impression that any foreign seafarers will get Canadian wages on these Routes, due to his erroneous testimony before them, by e-mail twice, on 4 and 5/5/17, c.c.ed also in the last one to Vice-Presidents Patrice Caron and Charles Aubry: So far, no reply has been received.
Therefore, those witnesses, who testified with President Givens to the Committee on 13/4/17, have been requested to ask President Givens to do so.
Additionally, the 15 members of the Senate Committee have been e-mailed to say that President Givens may have not been aware of the exemptions at the time he testified.
Should you think other seafarers are interested in knowing that CETA is already having potentially catastrophic results, even though the Senate has not yet approved it, let them know, particularly if they are from outside Montreal, where they may not yet realize it and please let me know if the union plans any actions on CETA, now that it may very soon be approved.
Sincerely,
Marc de Villers.