Lakeport fallout

There's been an interesting email thread circulating this afternoon about the Lakeport closure. It seems the news prompted another public email battle between Councillors Sam Merulla and Bob Bratina.

It started when Dave Kuruc, the owner of Mixed Media on James St. North, wrote to council urging them to advertise a boycott of Labatt:

Subject: Labatt closing Lakeport - another slap to the face of Hamilton
Dear Mayor and current Council,

I wanted to pass along my feelings of utter sadness and anger that we are losing another large employer in Hamilton. The announcement today that Labatt's is dismantling the Lakeport operation should come as no surprise. Their interest wasn't in Hamilton when they made the purchase a few years ago - we could all see that meant doom for the brewery and it's employees.

I wanted to pass along a poster circulating on Facebook I created calling for a local boycott on Labatt products and other beers they produce. This is getting quite a bit buzz online and I hope as a city we can make an impact on their sales.

I hope to hear from you as what our community can do to soften the blow by these large corporations leaving town.

The time is now,
Dave Kuruc

And here's the poster he included. (Apparently posters are the protest medium of choice for Hamiltonians these days!)

Councillor Bob Bratina responded:
The boycott is premature. We can use Labatt Market share to leverage the retention of the production facilities. Labatt has stated as I feared that the brewing equipment will be dismantled.  This has to be stopped to allow future operation. Please withhold rash actions until a strategy is determined. 
Bob Bratina

Which prompted this from Councillor Sam Merulla:
With all do respect Councillor Bratina I must support Dave Kuruc in this endeavour. We must act sooner rather than later. This is too important of an issue to simply sit on our hands.
Thank You,
Councillor Sam Merulla


Bratina shot back:
This is the guy who said Hilton works would never open again publicly in Council, propbably scaring a lot of workers to take early retirement. Use your head


Back to Merulla:
I'm saddened that Councillor Bratina continues to personalize issues rather than working collectively toward a resolution rather than the dysfunctional dialogue that I refuse to participate in or condone. Furthermore Hilton Works and Nanticoke US steel plants are running at skeleton crew levels.  We must protect all manufacturing factors jobs rather than the pathetic political posturing you are displaying Councillor Bratina. I look forward to working with the Mayor and Council on finding real solutions. You can abandon the meeting as you have in the past but please no projectiles.

He then added in another email:
I'm just trying to help. No need to personalize issues.

And Bratina again:
I hope there are sensible people on this list who realize that the only thing that might be salvaged is the production equipment, which Labatt says will be dismantled.  We now have to confront them with the only bargaining chip we have...beer consumption. 


Merulla responded:
Labbatts  purchased Lakeport to swallow the competition as a direct result of corporate greed. The last thing Labbatts will facilitate is the sale of the Brewery or its equipment for Brewery purposes. Also  you might want to research the significant contributing factors the NAFTA agreement has played a role in the demise of this brewery. Just recently their London Ont location was prevented from providing Labbatt products south of the border which in essence decreased their volume of product produced thereby running their London Ont plant at minimum capacity. The only language these corporate giants understand is a loss in their bottom line and a boycott with full participation of Hamilton residents will go along way in reaching them and gaining their attention. I hope this helps. 

Then a journalist from Sportsnet shot this email:
Must our assignment desk e-mail be subjected to this?

To which Merulla replied:
Yes if you are in the news business.

Comments

[Donald J. Lester]

The blaming game for what one did or did not say...but as I said previously this is only the beginning of the flight to the US. Many of the responses, including councilors are a reaction to shock as there is very little that they can do. The bottom line is business and profits. The US is offering large incentives to attract these moves..while here in Ontario taxes are out of control and on the increase. When you can produce a product for one third less and ship them to Ontario for twice the cost of producing, as a business decision, there is no questions to be asked. The only thing that becomes finite is the date of moving.

Perhaps if Hamilton operated more as a business city hall would have a better understanding of reality.

[#1 Obie Fan]

Strongly, Teresa Cascioli is a sell out and traitor. Exploiting a market and community with a need for affordable beer and then selling out, taking the money and running. In a city where nobody deserves cheap beer more. A city of working people who earn their glass of beer at the end of the day. She invested all but 3 million of mostly the National Bank's money and then waltzes away with tens of millions of dollars out the deal leaving a community and workforce high, dry and hobbled. I hope the money becomes an inescapable curse to her.

[Kathy Hagan]

Judging by the mentality of Bratina he will suggest this as the new site for the stadium!!

[Robert Latzer]

I worked at Lakeport for 14 yrs. I have never used a sick day or was ever late. And now my life line has been cut. Many people are unaware that we have a state of the art blending and distilling room which can produce coolers. remember Mikes hard lemonade and Smirnoff Ice ? Why can't Labatts allow another company to come in with the condition that no beer be produced ?
Why cause so much hardship to so many families?

[Cal DiFalco]

Respectfully, I am not sure either councillor has a grasp on the economic dynamics at play here. They both mean well I suppose. While the snapping back and forth is not helpful, the underlying approach is irrelevant and short lived/sighted.

Cal
caldifalco@cogeco.ca
www.thehamiltonian.net

[Joe West]

Bob and Sam,
Welcome to the business reality world. What has The City of Hamilton done to provide a means to substain these jobs, even an interest for corporate investment, NOTHING. Let's put all our eggs in the Pan Am game's. (We cannot even get this right). Why would any corporation invest in Hamilton?

The Port Authority Board members are appointed by Hamilton City Council, where were they when the deal was made, keeping in mind the status of Hamilton employment, in my opinion, and alleged, playing golf ?

Wake up Hamilton City Council, you are lossing more than what you gain.

Lets look at the next Mayor election, who is the competition, why?

I have made a decision not to do business in Hamilton due to the past experience that I have indurred and continue to experience.

The City of Hamilton has a long way to go to attract investors.

Joe West