Further to Madison’s story yesterday about the south interior of British Columbia issuing a 72-hour strike notice https://madisonsreport.com/2018/10/31/united-steelworkers-issue-72-hour-strike-notice-to-iflra/ This morning comes word that Negotiations between Conifer and the United Steelworkers Union representing sawmill workers across Northern BC have cooled for the time being, said My Prince George Now. However, the action is starting to heat…

*** BREAKING NEWS *** The United Steelworkers have issued 72-hour strike notice to Interior Forest Labour Relations Association, the employer bargaining group for the south interior of British Columbia. Last week there was rotating strikes in the north interior of British Columbia, which affected several sawmill operators. Picket lines went up outside Canfor’s Prince George…

Nationally, home price appreciation continued in August. Based on a seasonally adjusted annual growth rate, home prices in Seattle, New York and San Diego declined faster in August than in July. Home prices in New York has decreased for the fifth consecutive month. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index, reported by S&P…

The latest data on US housing starts and home building has provided some insight into the current state of this very important sector for the general US economy. As one of the most important inputs into new home building costs, North American softwood lumber prices are an excellent indicator of near- and mid-term expectations for…

Circumstances for North America softwood lumber and panel production and sales changed dramatically since summer. To say it was a complete reversal is not an overstatement. Since Labour Day, the supply-demand balance tilted completely in favour of customers; as sawmills were replete with both lumber inventory and log supply, while order files were a scant…

Pending home sales in the US increased in September, but have decreased on an annual basis for nine consecutive months, said the National Association of Home Builders Friday. The Pending Home Sales Index increased 0.5% in September, but remains down 1.0% year-over-year. The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI) is a forward-looking indicator based on signed…

 *** BREAKING NEWS: JOB ACTION IN NORTHERN BC *** As explained by Madison’s Lumber Reporter last week, northern British Columbia sawmill workers currently negotiating a contract are in a position to start job action. That step happened today …. Prince George, BC, sawmill workers started their picket lines bright and early this morning according to…

New announcements this week and last point to an increase in softwood lumber production in Canada in the next year or so. First up is San Group, out of Langley, BC, announced Friday The 39-year-old San Group is doubling down on its commitment to Port Alberni with a new $70-million lumber manufacturing facility that will…

Fast on the heels of US existing home sales a few days ago, on Wednesday contracts for new US single-family home sales declined in September, as eroding affordability conditions reduced sales volume, according to data are produced by HUD and the US Census Bureau. New single-family home sales declined to a significantly lower 553,000 seasonally…

The count of unfilled jobs in the construction sector increased in August, reaching yet another post-Great Recession high level. The rate of open construction sector jobs also set a cyclical high, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) and National Association of Home Builders analysis. The number of…