Mediators Withdraw from Mediation Process Feb. 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Western Forest Products Inc. (TSX: WEF) (“Western” or the “Company”) announced today that the Company and the United Steelworkers Local 1-1937 (“USW”) have received a letter from independent mediators Vince Ready and Amanda Rogers informing the parties that they have withdrawn from the meditation process as they see no basis for a negotiated settlement at this time.
“We are disappointed that despite previous proposals offering superior wage and contract provisions to what the USW and the forest sector have agreed to throughout British Columbia we have been unable to reach a negotiated settlement,” said Don Demens, President & Chief Executive Officer of Western. “We will continue to explore all options available to bring an end to the prolonged USW strike and have reached out to the Ministry of Labour to seek clarification on next steps.”
“We recognize the profound impact the strike is having on our employees, contractors, their families and communities. We remain committed to reaching a fair and equitable agreement that recognizes the important contributions of our employees, while maintaining the sustainability of our business so that we can continue to serve our customers who, through their purchases, support thousands of jobs in communities on the coast of British Columbia,” said Mr. Demens.
The strike, which commenced on July 1, 2019, affects all the Company’s USW certified manufacturing and timberlands operations in British Columbia, impacting approximately 1,500 of the Company’s hourly employees and approximately 1,500 employees working for the Company’s timberland’s operations and contractors.