First they were told they must agree to have their wages cut in half, their benefits slashed, and their pensions gutted. Then when they refused to get down on their knees, they were locked out.
Tonight they're worrying about how they are going to feed their families after their plant was closed down.
Even though as one worker said "we made damn good trains." Even though the Caterpillar hogs were making record profits.
Caterpillar revealed Jan. 26 it had record-high sales and a profit of nearly $5 billion US last year, up 83 per cent from $2.7 billion US in 2010. Profit per share was $7.40 US, up 78 per cent.
Even though the Harper Cons gave them juicy tax breaks, and now have the gall to claim that they are doing that to create jobs.
I couldn't make it to London, Ontario today. And I was so disappointed. For it must have been a stirring sight.
A crowd of more than 10,000 descended upon this city’s Victoria Park to support local workers who have been locked out of their jobs since the new year. They came from all over, from Timmins, Sudbury, and Pennsylvania in scores of buses. They came to protest corporate greed and Stephen Harper.
I would have liked to hear this angry message to Great Chicken Leader:
“We need you down here to support Canadian workers,” yelled London Mayor Joe Fontana. “Get your ass down here!”
Who was invited, but like the other three Con MP's from the area, was too scared to show up.
Golly. I don't think I'm going to have to consult my horoscope to find out where I'm going to be, and what I'm going to be doing on Saturday the 21st of January. Because I already know.
In London, Ontario, supporting these locked out Canadian workers.
And why am I so excited I'm marching around my house beating my drum already? Because I believe this ugly lockout will be a turning point in Canadian history, and will mark the beginning of the real resistance to the Harper regime.
For what more could we want eh?
Well I see that Great Choo Choo Leader is trying to put some distance between him and the lockout at the Electro-Motive plant in London, Ontario.
Even though he once used the factory to shill his corporate tax cuts.
"This is a dispute between a private company and the union and we don't comment on the actions of private companies," Harper spokesman Carl Vallee responded Wednesday in an email.
The prime minister showed no such reticence on Mar. 19, 2008 when he visited the Electro-Motive plant to showcase a $5 million federal tax break for buyers of the diesel locomotive-maker's wares and a wider $1 billion tax break on industrial capital investment.
Now I can understand why Stephen Harper is running away from those job-killing tax breaks. Because it must be so embarrassing to be exposed as a total fraud. And he's such a miserable coward.
But why is he refusing to stand up for Canadian workers who are being treated like animals by an American company? Why does he hate Canada soooooo much?
