Good afternoon, everyone.
I'll take it from here, but you should know that Mr. Neumann's notes are in English and that my mother tongue is French.
First, I would like to thank you for hosting the United Steelworkers at the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.
Today, I will address two specific situations that affect our members. A number of USW members have met with you over the past two years on Parliament Hill to discuss the protection of pensions and benefits in times of bankruptcy. In fact, we have met with more than 225 members of Parliament and senators on Parliament Hill in Ottawa to bring this situation to your attention.
Over the past few years, our retirees have experienced literal horror stories when their companies sought the protection of the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act or went bankrupt. We need only think of what happened to Atlas Stainless Steels in Sorel-Tracy a few years ago, or Sears Canada in Mabe, Montreal, or the White Birch Paper plant in Quebec City, and, more recently, a company on the North Shore—