A coalition of Canadian, American and Mexican energy workers' unions and nine lobby groups yesterday denounced the Security and Prosperity Partnership discussed by leaders of the three countries in Montebello, as a threat to each nation's energy sovereignty.

The Montebello meeting is a trilateral effort to increase security and enhance prosperity among the three countries through greater co-operation and information sharing.

Coalition representatives said they are specifically concerned about the implications of the North American Energy Security Initiative, which is part of the partnership.

"Each country ... will lose its sovereignty over energy research," said Charles Paradis, co-ordinator for the hydro-electric sector of the Canadian Union of Public Employees

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Coalition representatives accuse the governments of Canada, Mexico and the United States of bringing together government officials, regulators and corporations in an effort to promote the integration of energy industries and infrastructure, while leaving out labour groups and environmentalists.

Among items on the agenda in Montebello, according to the coalition, is the complete integration of electricity grids between the countries, promotion of a continental integrated natural gas system and a five-fold increase in Canadian tar sands production.

Paradis questioned who gave the representatives the mandate to discuss something as crucial as energy. "Energy is a fundamental right for each human being and it must stay that way," he said. "It doesn't belong to corporations."

Martin Esparza Flores, secretary-general of the Mexican Electrical Workers' Union said workers there have been debating the use of energy resources by the Mexican government for the last 15 years.

"We do not agree with the way our government uses these resources, because they give it all away to multinationals," he said.

In a statement made public yesterday, the coalition, which includes the Confédération des syndicats nationaux, the United Steelworkers, as well as the Council of Canadians, said access to energy resources "must not be denied by unfair markets and corporate greed."

"Energy resources in each of our country are publicly owned and must be democratically managed in the public interest," the statement said. It also said the governments of the three countries had "circumvented the oversight of our elected legislatures."