A sudden uncertainty has arisen for the North American forest products industry, in the form of a possible labour disruption in British Columbia.
As announced last week by Madison’s, the United Steelworkers issued strike notice which could affect several BC sawmill operations. Workers have been without a contract since July:
https://madisonsreport.com/2018/10/04/united-steelworkers-issue-strike-notice-to-northern-british-columbia-sawmills/
Now, the latest news is that BC sawmill workers have been banned from doing overtime. This makes it difficult to producers to adjust to either market conditions or to the arrival of fresh logs to the mill.
The union representing workers at 13 northern BC sawmills has directed its members to cease working overtime as a first step in job action after entering a legal strike position on Saturday, said the Prince George Citizen Wednesday. The United Steelworkers Local 1-2017 and Conifer, the employers’ bargaining agent for the region, are at odds over a new contract. Bargaining has reached an impasse that a mediator was unable to resolve.
Talks between the USW and the Interior Forest Labour Relations Association, the bargaining agent for the south interior are set to resume on Wednesday in Kelowna. If the IFLRA offers a similar package to Conifer’s, a strike vote will be conducted there in the coming days, detailed Prince George Citizen.
The sides are negotiating on behalf of 13 sawmills that employee roughly 1,600 workers: Canfor’s Prince George Sawmill and Isle Pierre operations as well as its sawmills in Houston and Fort St. Joh,; Lakeland Mills in Prince George; Dunkley Lumber Ltd. south of Hixon; Conifex’s mills in Fort St. James and Mackenzie; Babine Forest Products in Burns Lake; Tolko’s Lakeview Lumber and Soda Creek mills in Williams Lake and Quest Wood in Quesnel; and West Fraser’s Williams Lake Planer.
FULL STORY HERE:
https://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/news/local-news/union-issues-ban-on-overtime-at-northern-b-c-sawmills-1.23457344