Union files Enbridge pipeline suit

The Northern Gateway Pipeline was hit with yet another legal action Tuesday, this time by one of the largest unions in the country partly on the grounds the project would be bad for the economy.

Unifor, the largest private-sector union in Canada, has applied for a judicial review of the pipeline with the aim of stopping it from transporting material from Alberta’s oil sands to Kitimat, B.C.

The union said according to the Alberta Federation of Labour, only 228 permanent jobs will be created by the pipeline and Unifor’s national president Jerry Dias said that doesn’t outweigh the potential risks of the project.

“The Northern Gateway pipeline brings sky-high risks to Canadians, but only foreign oil companies will benefit,” said Dias in a release. “We will not stand by while Stephen Harper runs roughshod over Canadian jobs, First Nations’ rights, and environmental concerns.”

The union filed its suit with the Federal Court of Appeal and is also arguing the review given to the federal government by the National Energy Board is deeply flawed.

On Monday, nine separate legal challenges against the project were filed.

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