Port McNeill鈥檚 mayor says the sa国际传媒 government鈥檚 refusal to resolve a protracted forestry sector labour dispute is 鈥渋ntensely frustrating.鈥�
鈥淭he government has the power to assist them in reaching an agreement but refuses to offer anything more than 鈥榯alking to both sides,鈥� 鈥� said Mayor Gaby Wickstrom.
Premier John Horgan addressed the Truck Loggers Association convention in Vancouver on Thursday, and touched on 鈥渢he elephant in the room鈥� 鈥� a dispute between Western Forest Products Inc. and United Steelworkers Local 1-1937, which started on July 1.
鈥淚 agree that seven months is ridiculous,鈥� said Horgan. 鈥淚 agree with you that it is unsustainable going forward.鈥�
A labour disruption of seven months is unprecedented in sa国际传媒 history, said Horgan, asking everyone in the room to speak compassionately and peacefully to all involved in the dispute to find a way forward.
鈥淣o matter where you come down on the dispute between workers and a company, a large, large company, you know it鈥檚 not just hurting you and your families and your businesses, it鈥檚 hurting the sa国际传媒 economy,鈥� said Horgan, who announced a聽$5-million Coastal Logging Equipment Support Trust to fund bridge loans for contractors whose equipment is under threat of repossession.
Horgan said he has strongly encouraged both sides in the dispute to 鈥済et on with it.鈥�
Official talks have not re-opened.
鈥淚 am confident as the days go by in this week and into early next week we will have something positive to say from the table but if anyone in this room has ever been in a negotiation the best way forward is 鈥� to聽conclude that negotiation at the table, both parties coming away with give and with take,鈥� said Horgan.
Horgan said the same thing to reporters at a news conference on Monday. He said mediator Vince Ready is on hand, 鈥渂ut the best deal will be the one that鈥檚 made at a negotiating table.鈥�
Wickstrom said if the strike lasts much longer, some families won鈥檛 be able to recover from maxed-out credit cards that are helping them make ends meet.
鈥淩epeating 鈥榯he best agreement is reached at the bargaining table,鈥� is not enough,鈥� said Wickstrom.
鈥淵es, if the process is working, but after seven months the USW/WFP bargaining process is broken.
鈥淲e are at the stage where someone needs to help them reach the best agreement possible because many people are caught in the crossfire,鈥� said Wickstrom.
The way the mayor sees it, the NDP government wants Western Forest Products鈥� tenure reduced, the union wants back what it lost in prior binding arbitration, and the company wants to reduce costs to be more profitable.
鈥淎nd there in the midst of it all sit the workers and their communities suffering for it,鈥� said Wickstrom.
Campbell River Mayor Andy Adams and two city councillors are also at the truck loggers convention. 鈥淲e鈥檒l be speaking out at every opportunity about the devastating effects on Campbell River of the prolonged labour dispute,鈥� said Adams.
鈥淎s the urban hub for the forest industry and north island communities, we see the struggles of families and businesses in our community and in our region because of the unacceptable length of this dispute.鈥�
