Daily Archives: October 17, 2018

All is quiet at the usually buzzing Western Forest Products Sawmill in Ladysmith. It has been shut down since Sept. 21 when a log shortage sparked by this summer’s wildfires emptied out all of its booms out front. “Well anytime you have guys out of work it’s not a good thing,” said Glenn Calder with the Public and Private Workers of Canada Union. “So hopefully we can get some wood in the water and get some guys back to work.” The smaller trees the Ladysmith mill processes are harvested mainly from the North Island, where a massive shut down of forest operations happened due to the dry, hot weather and forest fires that ravaged that region for months this summer. Even as recently as Sunday, a flare up from the massive Zeballos area fire had to be doused, many weeks after fire crews left town.

Carmen Augustine

Christine Taylor (with Alex Drummond)

At Canfor, we have a great team of people who bring so much value to their jobs every day. I’m very proud of two employees in our Canadian Woodlands group who were recognized at a national level for their professional and personal accomplishments, which are helping to drive the forest products industry forward. Carmen Augustine, a Forestry Supervisor in Mackenzie, made the Canadian Forest Industries’ (CFI) Top 10 under 40 list. …Christine Taylor, a Silviculture Supervisor in Prince George, was awarded the Canadian Institute of Forestry’s (CIF) Prince of Wales Award for Sustainable Forestry. …Congratulations to both Carmen and Christine for their well-deserved awards and recognition. The passion and commitment they both have for our industry positively impacts Canfor, their communities and our industry. Thank you Carmen and Christine for being such great examples of the future of forestry.

We are proud to once again be recognized by CN for our sustainability leadership under CN’s EcoConnexions Partnership Program. Each year, the CN EcoConnexions Partnership Program selects companies that are committed to reducing their carbon emissions and increase energy efficiency. This aligns with the central focus of CN’s sustainability objectives. Canfor is amongst a group of 40 CN customers and supply chain partners that received this important recognition. To further celebrate all CN EcoConnexions winners, CN planted 100,000 trees this spring in partnership with Trees Canada. This annual tradition has resulted in CN planting more than 1.8 million trees since 2012.

A couple dozen workers were on the picket line before the sun came up at 4 a.m. to send a message to negotiators that employees are serious about their demands, said Paul French, vice president of the Steelworkers union who was on site. …The strike comes the morning that negotiations are scheduled to continue at meetings in Kelowna between Interior Forest Labour Relations Association (IFLRA) and the Steelworkers union, after talks broke down with Council of Northern Interior Forest Industry Relations (Conifer) last week. Conifer executive director Michael Bryce, “We were in mediation up until Sept. 28”. “Conifer did make an offer of settlement to the union in mediation. “At the core was a five-year term with a two per cent wage increase in each year for the employees.

Tolko Lakeview Division employees, represented by United Steelworkers Local 1-2017, were on the picket lines bright and early this morning. “We set up picket lines to basically try to get negotiations to move faster than what they are,” said USW 1-2017 First Vice President Paul French. “The company seems to be adamant to take stuff away from the members and all we want to do is just get a fair agreement.” The strike at Lakeview affects about 50 employees and French says the contractors with the construction project are also affected. …As for if other mill employees represented by USW 1-2017 will be on strike, French says that will all depend on what will happen with negotiations in the south between the Steelworkers Union and Interior Forest Labour Relations Association (IFLRA).