Industry committee  I agree, so I won't add to what they said. But what's also becoming a problem with the goods coming in from China--because we all keep saying they're cheap goods--is that it's not going to be just cheap goods pretty soon. Some of these places that are struggling to stay alive here in Canada have models of suits coming in from China and are flipping out at how great the quality is.

Industry committee  The United States has enacted safeguards. The European Union as a whole has enacted safeguards. South Africa has enacted safeguards. Some South American countries have enacted safeguards. I will send to every member of this committee a complete report; it just wasn't bilingual for today.

Industry committee  The government has a role to play that it's not playing right now. And there are no good answers to give the workers. What's the government hiding from? What's it afraid of? Are these workers, immigrants, or people who belong to the middle class? It's hard for them to speak out.

Industry committee  You know, I'm not here to be depressing. I came into this union only a couple of years ago. When most of these people were organizing, I was still in high school. When the workers I claim to represent came into the country, I wasn't born. So why am I here trying to save an industry that most people have completely forgotten?

Industry committee  You referred to the International Trade Tribunal. You also mentioned irresponsibility and ultimately a disgusting attitude. In the case of the tribunal, with regard to the clothing industry, what is irresponsible is to have waited 15 months before saying that there was a vice of form.

Industry committee  I couldn't help but answer when I heard the last part of that question. Concerning 28% higher wages, it's not everywhere. An apparel worker makes $10 an hour on average and has a pension plan and insurance and therefore can make it--can send their children to school and can afford to get sick.

Industry committee  I'm not saying it's going too quickly. I'm saying the two years that we still have at our availability should be used. There is no reason for it not to be used.

Industry committee  No, not at all. I believe there's a complete imbalance. The market will never regulate itself.

Industry committee  Je vais vous répondre en anglais parce que.... Look at the effect of safeguard measures on the apparel industry in the United States. For the first time in over twenty years, there was an increase in jobs. This is a time when we're talking about decreases, closures, losses. So it has a definite positive effect.

Industry committee  I entirely agree with Mr. Vaudreuil. He made a brief reference to that situation in response to the previous question. The impact would be devastating. The people we represent in the clothing industry and in the manufacturing industry in general are middle class people. They are people who pay taxes.

Industry committee  Were you asking me specifically? I didn't address this too much. However, in terms of skills training, if we look at the type of people working in the manufacturing sector today, they're people with almost no education, no training, no specific or higher training. A lot of them don't even have a high school diploma.

Industry committee  Good afternoon, everyone. We thank you for the opportunity to speak. Although I'm sure some of the other people here today will talk about the crisis in general in manufacturing—because it is a crisis, so “crisis” is the word I'm using—with job losses and the closure of plants across Canada, I'd like to take my time, and I'll keep it as brief as possible, to talk a little bit about a more particular crisis in the apparel industry in Canada.