United Steelworkers (USW) issued the notice against Forest Industrial Relations (FIR), which represents 31 companies in the British Columbia coastal region that employ 4,500 loggers, late on July 3 and the strike is set to begin at 8am tomorrow.
“FIR is unable to provide us with proposals that adequately address fundamental issues,” said Steve Hunt, USW western Canada director.
“Including scheduling hours of work, contracting out and severance pay for partial closures in logging and manufacturing.”
Contract talks to establish a new management-labour Master Agreement began between USW and FIR in mid-March, with employees concerned about a number of practices that they claim “undermine the security of workers, our families and coastal communities”.
USW is still in talks with International Forest Products and Island Timberlands, who are not members of FIR, and has not issued a strike notice for their employees.
