Ten meetings and two months later, the United Steelworkers (USW) have reached a tentative agreement with the Interior Forest Labour Relations Association (IFLRA) after a late Nov. 29 morning bargaining session in Vancouver.

While the tentative deal was mediated with the help of the Labour Relations Board, the USW was able to maintain their goal of bringing the Canfor pattern—reached two weeks earlier—to their union members in the southern interior. Steelworkers in the south recently voted 97% in favour of strike action which showed the IFLRA that they were ready to stand up for their bargaining committee.

Details of the tentative agreement will not be released until members in Local 1-405 Cranbrook, Local 1-417 in Kamloops and Local 1-423 in Kelowna get a look at the deal. A quick overview however, reveals a five-year agreement adopted elsewhere in the industry. This deal is similar to the Canfor agreement which provides significant pay enhancements for Tradesmen, improvements to health and welfare benefits, and in addition to stabilizing the pension plan, the deal seriously strengthens contract language surrounding the use of Chargehands.

In addition to a signing bonus and percentage wage increases, the deal also provides cash payments in the third, fourth and fifth years, rate adjustments for log scalers and carpenters, and help for apprentice travel and living out expenses.

More details will be released once the three southern interior Local Union presidents have had an opportunity to first discuss the tentative agreement with their members.

United Steelworkers (USW) Local 1-405 represents over 70 employees with Interior Forest Lumber Relations Association certified companies with Galloway Lumber near Jaffray, and Atco Lumber in Fruitvale. In the Southern Interior of B.C. in the Kelowna and Kamloops regions, the USW represents a further 900 members with Tolko, Weyerhauser and West Fraser. They have been without a contract since July 1, 2013.

United Steelworkers

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