CONTENTS
(1) LOCKHEED MARTIN CANCELS RECRUITMENT ON UNB CAMPUS, FREDERICTON
(2) UPDATE, PROTEST AT UNB: “LOCKHEED MARTIN HAS NO INTENTION OF HOPPING OVER NEW BRUNSWICK“
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(1) LOCKHEED MARTIN CANCELS RECRUITMENT ON UNB CAMPUS, FREDERICTON
From: Matthew
Hi All,
Great news! Last night 20 protesters showed up to ‘welcome’ Lockheed Martin.
There were several others who would have come, but had received the cancelation notice. LM didn’t show. Given the scale of the resistance they would have faced this was a wise choice on their part.
The below posted e-mail from student services confirms that they canceled because of the resistance. While the e-mail says they were still interviewing, we learned today that the interviews as well were canceled, any interested parties will have to Apply online.
While small scale in comparison to the war machine that is Lockheed Martin, this is a clear victory. Students and others mobilized and made the climate so unfriendly to a war enabler that they simply did not come.
On another note, the UNB Student Union did not pass the motion about Lockheed Martin. There has been quite a bit of student press about this, mostly negative, but at least people are talking.
—– Forwarded message Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:00:17 UT
From: heathers AT unb.ca (Coordinator of Employer Services)
Reply-To: heathers AT unb.ca
Subject: Canceled – Lockheed Martin Information Session
As you are probably all aware there are a group of students intending to protest the Lockheed Martin info session scheduled for this evening in C127.
After consulting with management Lockheed Martin has decided to cancel the session. They will however still be doing their on Campus interviews that have been scheduled.
If you have not an interview scheduled and would like to have the opportunity( or know of a student that would like) to make contact with Lockheed Martin in regards to employment could you get them to contact me in student employment.
Kathi
Katherine McNeil B.A. C.H.R.P Coordinator of Employer Services
Student Employment Services University of New Brunswick
Fredericton NB E3B-5A3 Phone 1-506-453-4712 email kathim AT unb.ca
hhtp://www.unb.ca/employment
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(2) UPDATE, PROTEST AT UNB: “LOCKHEED MARTIN HAS NO INTENTION OF HOPPING OVER NEW BRUNSWICK“
This is a story we’ve been following. Many thanks to Tracy in N.B.:
(Remember these are quarter profits/sales.)
* Lockheed Martin posted its fourth-quarter earnings yesterday — when almost every company is reporting losses — LM is doing fine reporting earnings of US$823 million compared with year-ago profit of $799 million.
Sales also grew three per cent to $11.13 billion from $10.84 billion a year ago. Defence electronics like missiles and information technology were up.
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Lockheed Martin has no intention of hopping over N.B.
Hiring campaign / Company encounters opposition to its presence at UNB
MICHAEL STAPLES Canada east News Service Telegraph-Journal, Published Friday January 23rd, 2009
(Link no longer valid: http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/search/article/549077)
[Also published by The Daily Gleaner: Protest forces weapons company to delay UNB recruitment:
(Link no longer valid: http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/search/article/549174) and Times & Transcript: Students protest recruitment session: (Link no longer valid: http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/search/article/549366)
Lockheed Martin Canada intends to return to the University of New Brunswick.
The company, a subsidiary of the giant U.S. military-equipment maker, cancelled an employer information session planned for the campus on Wednesday after a UNB-based social activist group expressed opposition to its presence.
Lockheed Martin Canada spokesperson Michael Barton said the company, which is currently on a hiring campaign, has no intention of hopping over New Brunswick.
Barton said efforts are underway to identify an appropriate time to return.
“We just didn’t have enough information provided to us to make an informed decision so we decided to err on the side of caution and reschedule the visit (for) a time when it makes sense to everyone.”
Barton said the company had not encountered opposition to its presence at UNB previous to this.
Strax, named after a former UNB professor, is critical of Lockheed Martin which it describes as the world’s largest exporter of arms and munitions.
“By hosting this career fair, UNB would have promoted the work of Lockheed Martin and not only become complicit in its actions, but actively facilitated Lockheed’s production of immoral, and sometimes illegal, products,” the group said in a release.
Ann Soucey, the manager of student recruitment for UNB, expressed disappointment that Wednesday’s session was cancelled. Visiting campus is something the company has done without incident over the last few years, she said.
“For our students, it’s important that we have a range of employers from across Canada come on campus to do recruitment,” Soucey said. “We have career fairs – three of those a year – and then there’s an opportunity all during the year for employers to come and do information sessions to talk about their organizations.”
Soucey said various companies will often turn up when they have a job posting and will use that occasion to set up opportunities for students to meet with the company in question.
“I just feel it was unfortunate the students didn’t have an opportunity to meet with the representatives from Lockheed Martin to know, for themselves, what was going on and what career options are available to them. They’re very interested in working with us to hire our students.”
Soucey said UNB has always had an excellent relationship with Lockeed Martin – a relationship that’s been problem free.
“We are just going to look at alternatives ways that we can still provide those opportunities for our graduates.”
Jon O’Kane, vice-president external with the UNB Student Union, said a motion presented by a councillor at its Monday meeting to oppose Lockheed Martin’s recruitment session was defeated.
“The motion was actually defeated and voted against under the spirit that it really isn’t our position to take stances on those matters and our focus should be more on our students rather than on moral issues,” O’Kane said.
“What we did was send a message that we are trying to control our scope to make sure that we are focused and really trying to do the best work for students.”
O’Kane said each student will have to make up his or her mind as to whether they want to attend future Lockheed Martin recruitment sessions.