Strike action at the Babine Forest Products mill in Burns Lake will resume after negotiations between the United Steelworkers (USW) Local 1-2017 and the Interior Forest Labour Relations Association broke down.
“After making some very significant moves to break the logjam between the two parties, the industry still insisted on keeping concessions on the table and dictating conditions on bargaining,” said Bob Matters, USW Staff and lead negotiator, according to a news release posted Nov. 19 on the Local 1-2017 website.
The overtime ban and rotating strikes would continue, after the union suspended them in the lead up to the mediation, which took place Nov. 14-16 in Kelowna.
https://www.burnslakelakesdistrictnews.com/news/babine-mill-workers-suspend-strike/
“With the forest industry reporting record profits in 2018, the employer is not willing to share in those profits while insisting the union agree to concessions,” the release added.
Strike positions by USW local unions in southern parts of British Columbia would begin in the morning of Nov. 21, with “strategic job action” starting next week.
A union spokesperson was not available to give further details to Lakes District News.
Local 1-2017, which represents more than 1,500 forestry workers in northern B.C., began rotating strikes in early October.