The United Steelworkers Union is starting mediation in the Southern Interior next week.
In response, they have stopped the ban on works doing overtime and rotating picket lines for the time being.
President of the Local 1-2017 Union, Brian O’Rourke says they are only able to do mediation with one group at a time.
O’Rourke added, “I am hoping there will be a pattern from the negotiations in the Southern Interior that we can use here in the North to get a collective agreement.”
He says they are hoping to get a fair resolution that everyone can agree upon with no concessions.
O’Rourke said, “Canfor reported their net profit doubled from the previous years and all of a sudden we are hit with curtailments and other concessions. Either their reporting is off, or we want a better deal for our employees.”
Last week works at Canfor in Houston had their hours reduced and shifts cut for November.
Director, Corporate Communications for Canadian Forest Products Ltd., Michelle Ward says this was due to “log supply challenges following another difficult wildfire season, uncompetitive log costs and declining lumber prices.”