A new campaign is urging British Columbians to speak out against BC Ferries’ plan to send nearly $1 billion in public funds overseas for ferry construction. The “Build Them Here” campaign, led by the BC Ferry & Marine Workers’ Union, is calling on the public to contact their elected officials and demand that ferries be built in Canada. The union argues that offshoring this work will result in significant job losses, harming local economies and the Canadian shipbuilding industry.
According to the union, sending ferry contracts abroad would cost Canada over $1.2 billion in wages and wipe out $1.1 billion in GDP. The campaign also highlights the potential long-term problems, including delays, mismatched systems, and expensive repairs. While BC Ferries claims it’s a cost-saving measure, the union says the short-term savings are outweighed by the long-term damage to jobs and local industries.
The “Build Them Here” campaign also raises concerns about the lack of local procurement policies for terminal repairs and upgrades, stressing that public contracts should help strengthen Canada’s industries, not undermine them. The union is urging the public to join the fight and demand that BC Ferries keep ferry construction in Canada.
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