Yes, absolutely. We have always been in favour of loan guarantees and assistance programs. Right from the beginning of this dispute, two or three years ago, our union made representations to the federal government. They were along exactly the same lines as what you just said—in other words, loan guarantees, assistance programs for older workers that would allow them to retire with dignity, and professional retraining programs.
We know that across Canada, retraining is absolutely essential, particularly for people working in the trades. This is an option that we presented to government on many different occasions. But we were given nothing. There is no doubt that had such programs been in place, we could have continued the battle. In my opinion, the battle is almost over. It has already been won.