NDP Leader Jim Dinn says he’s concerned with what he’s not hearing from Premier Andrew Furey given the bleak outlook for The Telegram newspaper and its printing press.
The Telegram is part of the Postmedia acquisition of regional Saltwire assets, but not its press.
And unless someone buys it to continue publishing, it could be sold off for scrap as part of the settling of Saltwire debt.
That could have a domino effect, since that press is also used to print The Shoreline, The Northeast Avalon Times, Buy & Sell magazine, Fogo Codversations, plus dozens of other publications for government and private industry — from restaurants to festivals.
Dinn says there’s an infinite number of reasons why The Telegram and press need to be saved and continue operating, not the least of which is holding elected representatives to account.
But he says the silence from government has been deafening, not to mention ironic.
Jim Dinn
“The irony is not lost on me that the government has put in millions of public funds to prop up Corner Brook Pulp and Paper, and yet has remained silent on an industry that depends on the product that that company puts out,” says Dinn.
“But it’s been radio silence from the premier.”
At least 30 Telegram employees could lose their jobs once the sale to Postmedia is finalized on August 24th.
In a letter to Furey, Dinn calls on the premier to immediately meet with representatives of Unifor and UFCW, the unions that represent the workers.
