Amidst layoffs and mill closures in the BC Interior, about 3,000 forestry workers have ratified a new five-year contract by a margin of 84 per cent.

The deal is retroactive to July 1, 2018, with two per cent increases each year, after a final offer was tabled to locals in Kamloops, Kelowna, and Cranbrook, with about two per cent increases every year.

Steelworkers Local 1-417 President Marty Gibbons says the new deal has pretty significant pay increases for employees.

“The lowest paid worker is going to receive a pay raise as of July 1 this year of $1.20 an hour, which is pretty significant considering all the forest industry has been through,” he said. “I think members realize that this was a hard fight through a difficult time.”

He was asked if recent mill closures and layoffs impacted the vote.

“I know that other areas had a significantly lower response. We work really hard to make sure that our members are fully informed,” Gibbons added. “There were no surprises when we were showing up to vote, the members. They had had the collective agreements with plenty of time in between, and they have also been kept in the loop all through the process. And I think trust is really important in the ratification process.”

After back and forth talks, members were tabled a final offer from the Interior Forest Labour Relations Association (IFLRA), which was put to a vote, but not signed off by union’s bargaining committee. Gibbons admitted it was hard fought deal in a difficult time with mill closures in Chasm and Vavenby among others.

“The reason we didn’t sign it was mainly due to the other side refusing to work with us on some fairly simple issues,” he said. “In order to get a signature on the document, they need to work with us, but the approach they took was sort of ramrod, but that being said, we were at the end of the process and this is a fair deal.”

“It does provide some pretty significant increases. The severance rate being paid at the two operations will be based on the new rate which does make a difference. Not a huge difference for the members losing their jobs, but it all helps.”

Gibbons adds union leaders are continuing to work with government and industry to find solutions to the pressures facing the forestry industry.