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Devastating impact to USW members and valley
Canfor announced to their Canal Flats Mill employees Thursday, Feb. 5 that the mill would be going from two shifts to one affecting 81 employees due to lack of economically available fiber effective May 4.
“This is devastating news for our members, their families, Canal Flats, surrounding communities and the local union,” said Doug Singer, President of United Steelworkers Local 1-405 in Cranbrook. He added: “This is not a temporary layoff; this is a permanent layoff affecting 81 members which is more than 50% of the employees, which is very significant. It’s going to have a very negative impact on people of Canal Flats and indeed, the entire valley. Many of the members reside in Canal Flats, Kimberley, Cranbrook and Invermere. These are workers with families and mortgages.”
Canfor and the United Steelworkers Local 1-405 began meeting Friday to deal with many issues that need to be resolved regarding severance, transfers (especially to Elko and Radium), the impact on the employee’s pension, bumping and moving costs. A Transition Office has been established at the Canal flats operation, which will be staffed by management and union members to assist employees with any information and assistance they will require.
The Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) have been notified so counselors are prepared to deal with issues that arise. “We will also do crew talks involving the EFAP program once a time is confirmed,” said Singer.
“It is very unfortunate that fiber supply and the increased cost of the new market based stumpage system has resulted in the loss of this many members jobs,” said Singer. “We continue in the province of B.C. to allow massive amounts of log exports, although there are mills that do not have enough timber to run the operations to full capacity,” he added.
“First Vice President Doug Wood, along with Financial Secretary/Business Agent Jeff Bromley and myself will do everything we can to reduce the impact from this permanent reduction to our members, their families and communities,” concluded Singer.
The United Steelworkers Local 1-405 is a diverse union representing over 1,300 workers in sawmills, credit unions, insurance services, hotels, ski resorts and municipal workers in the East and West Kootenay.
United Steelworkers Local 1-405
