CNWC

Canadian Nuclear Workers’ Newsletter | June 2010

admin — Mon, 31 May 2010 23:14:50 +0000

… Recent media rumors suggest that the federal Government is about to sell its complete stake in Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL) to private interests. The whole matter has been well below the public’s radar, since the Government’s December 17th, 2009 announcement that it was inviting investors to submit proposals for CANDU Inc. A cynic would say that this lowkey approach is in direct response to the findings of IPSO Reid polling commissioned by the government in early 2009.

Click here to download the February 2010 Nuclear Workers’ Newsletter in PDF format.

Canadian Nuclear Workers’ Newsletter | February 2010

admin — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:07:18 +0000

…Politicians of every stripe tout green energy as the salvation of our economy and the global environment. In particular, building more wind and solar generation is promoted as being one of the best ways to create tens of thousands of new, sustainable jobs while dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As a result,….

Click here to download the February 2010 Nuclear Workers’ Newsletter in PDF format.

Canadian Nuclear Workers’ Newsletter | December 2009

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:01:24 +0000

On October 19th, 2009, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources announced that the Government had received and begun to review a financial analysis on the restructuring of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL). The outcome of this process will clearly seal the fate of Canada’s nuclear industry.

The report is intended to help the Government decide how to best strengthen and better position Canada’s nuclear industry for both global and domestic opportunities. This means creating the conditions that put AECL on a commercial footing and that provides the company with better access to capital and innovation…

Click here to download the December 2009 Nuclear Workers’ Newsletter in PDF format.

Areva Resources Application for Operating License Renewal for McClean Lake | 03-30-09

admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:18:19 +0000

…CEP Local 48S has represented the workers at the McClean Lake site since the mines inception in 1994.

Our comments and recommendations are based on the long working history with CEP local 48S and this company at its Cluff Lake mine (now decommissioned) in northern Saskatchewan and almost 14 years of experience at the McClean Lake project.

We have also reviewed Areva’s submission as well as the CNSC Staff Submission for the AREVA application for the renewal of the operating license for the MaClean Lake Mine and Mill Facility.

The following are our comments in this regard:

External View

Several CNWC members toured this facility in 2007. A group of Saskatchewan and National Labour leaders/representatives also toured the site in 2006. Both groups were very impressed with the worker safety programs and the environmental controls that were in place to protect the environment. These tours provided the opportunity of external eyes to view the mine and mill site.

This fact should help ensure the public that these facilities are operated in a safe manner and that the environment is safeguarded….

To read the full submission download it here in Adobe PDF format.

CNWC Green House Gas (GHG) emmissions Position Paper

admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:16:16 +0000

…The Canadian Nuclear Workers’ Council (CNWC) is an organization of unions representing workers in various areas of the Canadian nuclear industry, including electric utilities, uranium mining and processing, radioisotope production and nuclear research. The CNWC believes that Nuclear Power, as a reliable and non-GHG emitting source of electricity, deserves special attention from policy makers to transition from a carbon-reliant economy.

Specifically, the CNWC recommends the following policy actions:

1. The Government’s of Canada and Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick create a Nuclear Technology Roadmap for Canada that focuses on maximizing the economic benefits from domestic opportunities and export sales.

2. Canada’s Nuclear Technology Roadmap should include mechanisms that link Canada’ nuclear technology to: the development of new nuclear generated electricity exports; the potential synergies of nuclear and hydroelectric generation i.e., the former providing back-up for the latter; the creation of a new national nuclear research reactor; extraction of oil in western Canada; the production of technologies such as zero emission vehicles; medical applications and sea water desalination….

Click here to download the CNWC Green House Gas (GHG) emmissions Position Paper in PDF format.

Renewal of Operating Licenses for Bruce Lab A&B Nuclear Generating Stations | 09-02-09

admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:09:21 +0000

…The Canadian Nuclear Workers’ Council and the Grey-Bruce District Labour Council hereby register their support for the renewal of the Operating Licenses for Bruce A&B Nuclear Generating Stations.

The purpose and membership of the two Councils are provided in Appendix 1. One of the two Unions that represent the workers at the plants is a member of the CNWC. Both unions are members of the Labour Council. The Power Workers Union (PWU) represents operations and maintenance staff at the generating stations and The Society of Energy Professionals (SEP) represents the supervisory and engineering staff at the stations. We have reviewed in detail the submission that the Commission will receive from the PWU. . We agree with its conclusions in general and in particular that Bruce Power will make adequate provision for the protection of the environment, the health and safety of workers and the public, the maintenance of national security, and take measures required to assist Canada in meeting its international obligations.

We will try to avoid duplicating a discussion of those issues covered in the PWU and the SEP submissions, concentrating instead on the view of local labour organizations and on the view of Canadian Nuclear Workers Council on matters of provincial and national importance. We greatly welcome this opportunity to make these views known to the Commission…

To read the full submission download it here in Adobe PDF format.

Renewal of Cameco Corp. Operating Licenses in Key Lake and McArthur River |08-14-08

admin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:50:50 +0000

…Representatives from the CNWC member unions toured the McArthur River Mine during their annual convention in 2007 which was held in Saskatoon. This tour provided a different set of eyes to review this facility. Tour participants consisted of workers in other sectors of the Canadian nuclear Industry and some of their spouses. The tour participants expressed a high level of comfort with the level of health and safety that they experienced on the tour. As well they were impressed by the environmental controls and respect for the environment that they witnessed during their time at the site.

The CNWC organized a tour of the McArthur River Mine for local and national Labour Union leaders in 2007. These tour participants echoed the same sentiments as the participants on the CNWC toured described above.

In 2004 the CNWC organized and participated in an independent investigation in regards to some issues around the 2004 McArthur River Mine flood event. (A copy of the report from this investigation can be obtained from our web site…

To read the full submission download it here in Adobe PDF format.

Canadian Nuclear Workers’ Newsletter | May 2009

admin — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 22:41:41 +0000

…If we don’t support our Canadian nuclear industry in favour of a foreign design, we can expect to be a minor beneficiary of future opportunities with respect to overseas reactor sales, electric and hydrogen zero emission vehicles developments and oil extraction in Alberta. We will also be abandoning a significant part of Canada’s reputation as a leader in global high-technology and a large chunk of our energy security…..

Click here to download the May 2009 Nuclear Workers’ Newsletter in PDF format.

Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. (AECL)

admin — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 14:18:23 +0000

Mississauga, Ontario

The workers at this facility are members of the Society of Professional Engineers and Associates (SPEA) and are located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. They represent 920 engineers and scientists who design Canada’s CANDU power reactors. Check their web site at www.spea.ca

For more information on this site visit:
www.aecl.ca

The Canadian Nuclear Workers representative at this site is Michael Ivanco and he can be contacted at

ivancom@aecl.ca

Canadian Nuclear Workers’ Newsletter | February 2009

admin — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 01:21:32 +0000

…Ottawa’s recent silence on the fate of Canada’s successful CANDU reactor technology and Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL) appears to have broken and moves are afoot to “bulk it up” for global competition.

The recent 2009 Federal Budget provides $351 million in cash to AECL “for its operations, including the development of the Advanced CANDU Reactor and to maintain safe and reliable operations at the Chalk River Laboratories.” As well, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, the Hon. Lisa Raitt, will be “reviewing AECL’s structure to ensure it is appropriate in a changing marketplace.”….

Click here to download the February 2009 Nuclear Workers’ Newsletter in PDF format.