The morning after. (Canadian Labour Congress)

Out of the shattered hopes and stolen dreams of a general election has emerged a new tough-minded Canadian Labour Congress economic battle plan.

With the smell of corporate betrayal hanging heavy over the Canadian economic landscape and the business pages suddenly becoming obituaries for jobs, it was clear the labour initiative was needed.

While CLC President Shirley Carr swiftly moved to meet with the newly re-elected Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, she also made it clear that the labour movement's opposition to the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement had not been swept away with the election lawn signs.

"Of course we recognize that the general election had a damaging impact on workers, but it is going to be our job to mitigate workers' losses and stem the corporate attack on the Canada that we know and love," said Carr.

The CLC president said it was the duty of organized labour to make sure the government lived up to the commitments it made during the federal election.

"We are especially interested in the government's promises to give workers affected by the FTA the finest retraining, relocation and re-employment programs anywhere in the industrialized world," said Carr.

"So far all we have seen are promises of closed plants and longer unemployment lines."