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Posted
March 14, 2005 |
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By
Christina Montgomery |
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City of North Van slams port checks March 9, 2005, The Vancouver Province The City of North Vancouver has joined the list of municipalities opposed to Ottawa’s plan to require extensive background checks for port workers. Burnaby and Vancouver have passed similar resolutions. The $21-million-a-year program would require workers to submit to extensive financial, criminal and personal checks, provide the names of spouses, ex-spouses, in-laws and family and list all their “activities” from the past five years, together with all the places they’ve lived, travelled, worked and studied. They would also have to agree to a check of their loyalty and reliability, and agree the information could be shared with other countries. During this week’s debate, the plan was dismissed by North Vancouver Coun. Darrel Mussatto as an “unjustified witch hunt” that would set a dangerous precedent for workers. Dock workers in B.C. have said that without substantial changes to the plan, they will continue to show up for work but decline to apply for clearances -- a move that would threaten the Port of Vancouver's $8 million in daily trade. - 30 -
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