News Workforce
AV Group Terrace Bay ratifies four-year collective agreement with mill union workers

AV Group Terrace Bay, along with United Steel Workers (USW 665) and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW 1861), ratifies a four-year collective agreement.

“AV Group is pleased with the cooperative effort in which this agreement was struck,” said Terrace Bay president Dennis Visintin. “This agreement provides certainty for our operations and security for employees as we enter a favourable period for the kraft market. It aligns well with creating an employer-of-choice environment for current and prospective employees. It’s the right agreement at the right time.”

The collective agreement covers approximately three hundred hourly employees at the Terrace Bay operation. The mill produces over 320,000 tonnes of bleached softwood pulp annually.

“The membership is pleased to have ratified this agreement. Our negotiations were effective and brings total compensation to a level competitive with regional mills. We look forward to putting this agreement to work for the benefit of our members and the community,” said USW spokesperson, Herb Daniher.

Highlights of the agreement include wage increases in the range of 20 to 24 percent and pension and benefit enhancements. Improvements to job placement procedures are also expected to optimize the return on employee training investments for the company.

“This four-year agreement represents stability and security for our members which we believe will contribute most favourably to the future success of the Terrace Bay mill, its employees and the greater community,” said Brian Murdoch, an IBEW representative.

The mill, which has been without an agreement since May 1, 2022, will see the new agreement come into effect on October 14, 2022, with wage increases retroactive to May 1, 2022.

“This agreement is key to AVTB’s forward-looking strategy,” added Visintin. “Coupled with our abundant and sustainably certified wood supply, this investment in our people positions us to be a strong competitive provider of NBSK for the foreseeable future.”