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Multinational corporations provide good jobs

Editor, The News:

Re: It helps to know about kleptocracy (Along the Fraser, Oct. 21).

I agree with Jack Emberly’s statement, “[some] corporate CEOs suck up fat bonuses and lifetime pensions, MLAs steal a 30 percent pay hike and Maple Ridge councillors allot themselves a 15 per cent jump in pay.”

Having said that, his class warfare vendetta about the evil rich and the noble others is unfair and hypocritical. He mentions a sign held by a BCGEU member that read: “Working people should not have to live in poverty.”

The BCGEU owns major equity in multinational corporations. It invests in Suncor Energy, Research in Motion, Barrick Gold, CN Rail, Exxon, Microsoft, to name just a few.

These corporations provide jobs, livelihoods, benefits and pensions for millions of Canadians, union members among them, who are not known to live in poverty. In fact, most union members would be in the 85th percentile, much closer to the wealthy than the poor.

There are many variables for being wealthy or poor. It’s not black and white and should not be painted as such.

Perhaps Mr. Emberly would benefit from the lady with the sign that read: “free hugs.”

Cherryl Katnich

Maple Ridge