Roughly 3,000 Western Forest Products employees are off the job and on the picket lines after strike action. (USW 1-1937)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

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Thousands of Island forestry workers walk off the job onto picket lines

Jul 2, 2019 | 10:30 AM

NANAIMO — Operations at Western Forest Products facilities have come to a halt as employees take strike action.

Approximately 3,000 employees primarily on Vancouver Island walked off the job on Monday and remain on the picket lines.

The 72 hour strike notice from United Steelworkers Local 1-1937 accused Western Forest Products of “continuing to keep massive concessions on the bargaining table that threaten our members.”

The strike action expired on Canada Day and many pickets lines were up by 4 p.m. on July 1.

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“This action was not taken lightly,” the release from the union said.

The agreement between the union and Western Fore Products expired in mid-June.

Susan Dolinksi with Western Forest Products accused the union of making an already difficult situation much worse.

“We’ve got challenging market conditions, companies have already curtailed production and in other cases in the Interior they’ve shut down mills permanently.”

Dolinksi said the union is refusing mediation and hasn’t been a willing participant at the table.

Calls to the union weren’t returned by deadline.

Both sides said they’d be available to bargain.

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