Why Government Cannot Intervene on the Coast USW Local 1-1937 has been on strike since July 1st, 2019. The strike was a response to Western Forest Products (WFP) at the bargaining table refusing to withdraw over 20 concessionary demands. Remember that WFP had just finished 2 years of record profits before the work disruption. Over the past 6 months both the union and company have inched closer to an agreement but only at a snail’s pace. Progress was somewhat stimulated by the firing...

Forestry Industry Resuscitation USW Local 2009 has been significantly affected by curtailments and threats of mill closures including the announcement of the closing of Interfor’s Hammond Cedar Division in Maple Ridge on September 3rd, 2019. This decision has directly impacted 147 forestry workers and an estimated 50 additional contractors. Interfor’s decision was not made because the mill was not profitable (it was) nor was the decision made because of the lack of fibre.

Monumental Leadership Changes for Women in the USW This summer brought sweeping changes to USW’s International Executive Board, as well as to other vital positions within the union. As President Leo Gerard stepped down to enjoy retirement in July, along with Vice President at Large Carol Landry, Secretary-Treasurer Stan Johnson, and Vice President Jon Geenen, a new generation of leaders have stepped in to take the helm. Among this fresh slate is the largest group of women to ever hold...

Forestry Workers Being Used as Pawns by the Forestry Industry Every good chess player knows about sacrificing their pawns. A player sacrifices a pawn to get a kingside space advantage, to destroy or damage the opposing king's pawn cover, or to keep the opposing king in the center. Unless the opponent manages to fend off the attack, he is likely to lose. The king in this analogy is the NDP government, the opponent is the Forestry Industry, and the pawns, unfortunately, are the forestry workers...

DEVASTATING NEWS OF CLOSURE CAUSES UNION ACTION On September 3rd, 2019, in a well orchestrated announcement, Interfor made a business decision to close its Hammond Cedar facilities. The overall plan includes “repatriation of working capital tied up at Hammond” and “monetization of related real estate,” according to a company statement. It is apparent the plan is to capitalize on the real estate value of the Hammond property and re-invest the capital elsewhere, more...

Frequently Asked Questions About Joining Our Union  Do you lose anything when you join the union? No Once a union applies for a certification vote, Section 45(1) (b) of the BC Labour Relations Code requires that all terms and conditions of employment are protected and cannot be changed for 12 months after certification without the union’s consent. That means that if the union gets a Yes vote, then bargaining...

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