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VANCOUVER – A special sitting of the legislature will be held on Tues. Dec. 16 to introduce legislation that will end the coastal forest strike, Premier Gordon Campbell announced today.
“Thousands of families and dozens of coastal communities have been hurt by the softwood lumber dispute, and clearly a long, intractable strike is not in anyone’s interests,” Campbell said. “The longer this strike drags on, the more everyone suffers and the more damage is done to B.C.’s competitive position with our customers both in Canada and abroad.”
“I therefore asked the Labour Minister to meet with the parties earlier this week. Both parties have said they want to resolve the dispute but that they needed our help to enable them to get on with what will admittedly be a difficult negotiation. Both parties were concerned that they may be heading to a long, arduous and potentially damaging negotiation. They have agreed that government needs to help them through this.”
“In the spirit of the season and in the interests of all British Columbians, both parties have agreed that it’s time to resolve this dispute with the help of enabling legislation,” Campbell said. “It’s a difficult, but necessary measure that will give both parties the process and mediator/facilitator that they agree is right to resolve this dispute now.”
The legislation will require an immediate return to work under the terms of the collective agreement that expired in June. The terms of a new contract will be reached through a mediation-arbitration process that will take into account the economic viability and competitiveness of the coastal forest industry as well as labour relations stability and interests of unions and employees.
The Premier met today with Dave Haggard of the Industrial, Wood and Allied Workers of Canada and Duncan Davies, chair of the Forest Industrial Relations Ltd. IWA and FIR have agreed to the appointment of veteran mediator-arbitrator Don Munroe.
“We all agree that the coastal forest industry requires labour cost reductions in order to compete and win again in key markets,” said Davies. “ What we have been unable to agree on is how best to achieve those labour cost reductions. Government has proposed a pragmatic way to get us to where we need to be for a stronger, more competitive future.”
“This is the right time for government to act in this dispute, “said Haggard. “We agree we need change in the coastal forest industry, but we just haven’t been able to get there bargaining with this industry. I believe that we need to get back to the bargaining table and, with the assistance of someone like Don Munroe, I am confident that we will find the resolve that works for our members, communities and the coastal forest industry.”
Campbell personally thanked Haggard and Davies for their willing participation in the dispute resolution process. “I recognize these were difficult decisions. Both the employers and the union should be commended for choosing to put their members, their workers and their communities first.”
Approximately 10,000 IWA members have been affected by the strike, which began Nov. 21.
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