The Alberta Federation of Labor sees the Kearl oil sands project as a pipeline for shipping jobs to the United States.

Construction of the mega project northeast of Fort McMurray will create a temporary job boom in Alberta but once the bitumen begins flowing in 2012 the AFL claims Americans will get the biggest share of long-term upgrader jobs.

AFL President Gil McGowan asks: “When will the Stelmach government stop energy companies from shipping Alberta jobs down the pipeline?”

McGowan adds if the Kearl project represents the future of the oil sands, then Albertans should be very concerned.

Imperial Oil spokesman Gordon Wong confirms turning bitumen into useable products will be done at existing Imperial and Mobil facilities in Canada and the U-S.

Wong won’t comment on the possibility of additional jobs at Imperial’s big Strathcona Refinery here.

iNews880, Tues May 26, 2009