Unions protest spectre of Verizon arrival

Canada’s soon to be mega-union is protesting in downtown Toronto over a move it says will put thousands of Canadians out of work.

The CAW and CEP, which will soon merge to form Unifor, are rallying against a plan to allow Verizon wireless into the Canadian market. Canada’s wireless rules were originally relaxed to make way for smaller companies but it appears Verizon will be the main beneficiary.

CEP national president Dave Coles says the decision by the Harper government is out of line and the deal would let Verizon piggyback on an industry built by Canadian companies.

“Who could have imagined that they would declare war on home-grown Canadian companies that supply jobs, not just to you, but to many, many communities.”

Prime minister Stephen Harper said yesterday there are no special loopholes for foreign companies looking to enter the Canadian market.