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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BURNABY, BC – The United Steelworkers (USW) and Western Forest Products (WFP) have reached a tentative agreement, covering some 2,400 USW Local 1-1937 and Local 1-85 members employed at WFP sawmilling and woodlands operations on Vancouver Island, the Mainland Coast and the Haida Gwaii.

USW Wood Council chair Bob Matters says full details of the tentative agreement will be provided to members at a series of ratification meetings. Members in isolated areas may be provided written details and mail-in ballots.

In general, terms the four-year agreement, expiring in June of 2014, enhance the members’ job security, improve Health and Welfare benefits, stabilize the Long Term Disability Plan, improve severance pay in the event of permanent or partial closures and rebuild preferential hiring protections.

In addition to a signing bonus, there are general wage increases in the third and fourth year and significant adjustments to trades rates.

“We strongly urge our members to accept this agreement, which would become a pattern agreement for contract talks with other coastal employers,” says Matters.

Contact: Bob Matters 604.683.1117 or 604.994.4476