The British Columbia Ferry & Marine Workers Union has called out BC Ferries for handing half a billion dollars to a state-owned shipyard in China, arguing that it's "not too late" to change the system and build future ships at home.
Via the "Build Them Here" campaign, the union hopes to bring attention to the move, which has already garnered backlash from across BC and beyond.
"We've got the skills. We've got the yards," the BCFMU wrote in a press release. "But instead of building vessels here, our tax dollars are being used to send jobs to workers in another country."
They went on to dismiss claims that it's "cheaper" and "faster" to build the ships in China, noting that that may be true in the short term, but over the years, the costs will begin to add up.
"Every contract sent offshore means fewer good jobs here at home, less investment in local industry and more public money leaving the country," the BCFMU explained. "Building in Canada supports skilled trades, strengthens our economy and keeps our shipbuilding capacity alive for future generations."
Both BC Ferries and the provincial government were quick to lament that no Canadian shipyards bid to build the ships. The BCFMU argued that they were more than capable, but that the process "made it almost impossible for local yards to compete" due to "tight timelines, lack of provincial coordination and a focus on the lowest cost."
"This isn't just about ferries," the union continued. "It's about whether public money should create good jobs here or be used to prop up foreign economies. It's about a generation of young workers being told there’s no place for them in BC's future."
They urged people to contact their MLAs and MPs to make it clear: "build our ferries here, not there."
