The rail strike that took a serious toll on part of the pulp and paper industry has come to a close, albeit a fragi…
The rail strike that took a serious toll on part of the pulp and paper industry has come to a close, albeit a fragile one.
According to a report by CBC, after coming to a deal during talks in Montreal, the United Transportation Union confirmed that it is calling on the 2,800 conductors and yard service workers to return to their jobs while members vote on the deal.
We are retaining our strike mandate during the ratification process; however, we are urging all members to return to work during the ratification process, CBC reported John Armstrong and Robert Sharpe, the unions Canadian vice presidents and chief negotiators as saying. We are hopeful that this will greatly reduce the possibility of the Canadian government continuing to move forward on back-to-work legislation until such time as the ratification process is completed and the results known.
The Forest Products Association called on the government to support back-to-work legislation, on the basis of the highly detrimental impact the strike had on the industry.
The 340,000 forest products workers and the more than 320 communities that depend so heavily on our sector are being held hostage by this strike, Avrim Lazar, president and CEO said prior to the reaching of a deal. Theservice disruption has already led to the industry losing contracts, incurring significant costs and shutting mills. For this reason, the industry strongly supports the governments move to legislate an end to the strike.
CBC confirmed the details of the deal have yet to be made public, however, the union feels the tentative agreement is the best option for members. The tentative agreement allows UTU members the opportunity to have a voice and exercise their democratic right in this crucial decision, CBC reported Armstrong and Sharpe as saying.
Votes will be counted on March 26.
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