The bargaining committee has started rotating strikes at CONIFER Mills, with the first being Tolko Lakeview, in Williams Lake.

As you are aware your Bargaining Committee came to an impasse with CONIFER in negotiations this past Friday. We asked the mediator to book out, and on Wednesday served 72-hour Strike Notice. So effective 8am on Saturday, October 6th, we will be in legal strike position.

Further to booking the mediator out earlier this week, USW Local 1-2017 covering all of northern BC, based in Prince George, has issued 72-hour strike notice and will be in a legal strike position at 8 am Saturday, October 6, 2018.

Your BC Interior Bargaining Committee sat down with CONIFER member companies for five days of mediation in Prince George this week with the aim of bargaining a fair collective agreement for the Northern Sawmill Workers of USW Local 1-2017. Mediator Dave Schaub was called upon to kick start what can only be characterized as a slow start to bargaining, with meager progress.

CONIFER CONTINUES TO DEMAND CONCESSIONS!

Your bargaining committee spent September 17th and 18th continuing to use a common sense approach in an attempt to avoid a strike. What is truly concerning is Conifer’s unwavering position that their concessionary agenda MUST be addressed.