-
US Housing Starts, Existing Home Sales: Oct 2018
US home construction improved a slight +1.5% in October, but ground breaking for single-family houses fell. The US Commerce Department said Tuesday US housing starts rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.23 million, up from 1.21 million in September. The gains came entirely from apartments. Starts for single-family houses slipped -1.8% last month.…
-
More Sawmill Curtailments, Possible Job Action in British Columbia
The United Steel Workers (USW) Bargaining Committee, representing the British Columbia USW Locals 1-405 (Cranbrook), 1-417 (Kamloops), 1-423 (Kelowna) and 1-2017 (Prince George), which includes 2,600 members in the south region and 2,000 members in the north region, booked out provincial mediator Dave Schaub late Friday night after talks broke down with the Interior Forest…
-
Current Softwood Lumber Prices Compared to Recent and Historical Highs: Nov 20 ’18
The manufacture and sale of North America softwood lumber and panel raced headlong into the US Thanksgiving long weekend after two years of a very tumultuous market. Madison’s own expectations were for the recent annual North American Wholesale Lumbermen’s Association (NAWLA) meeting in Chicago, IL, to be “off-the-hook” as the kids say. While extremely well…
-
Curtailments, Closures, Job Action at British Columbia Sawmills
Fast on the news last week that the respective bargaining committees, for workers and employers, were making progress and a deal seemed imminent, this weekend came word of possible more continued rotating strikes for British Columbia sawmills. According to the United Steelworkers, contract talks have broken down with the Interior Forest Labour Relations Association (IFLRA),…
-
West Fraser Permanently Reduces Sawmill Production; Canfor and Conifex Curtail Sawmills
West Fraser in Quesnel, BC, will be eliminating a shift at its sawmill, said MyPrinceGeorgeNow Wednesday. The company says it will permanently curtail approximately 300 million board feet of combined production at its Fraser Lake, BC, and Quesnel sawmills. A total of 75 employees will be impacted in Quesnel, over 1Q and 2Q 2019, although…
