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Tembec strike over, cogen project delayed one month

Tembec reached a settlement with its Temiscaming site employees who voted on Dec. 10 to end the two-week long strike. The settlement consists of a four-year agreement to expire in September 2018.

Tembec reached a settlement with its Temiscaming site employees who voted on Dec. 10 to end the two-week long strike. The settlement consists of a four-year agreement to expire in September 2018.

A union representative told French-language broadcaster Radio-Canada that the union made many gains in this settlement, specifically on the subject of vacations and discipline. Roger Gauthier, regional president for the Unifor union, said labor relations had been an issue at the Tembec site for several years.

Tembec estimates the financial impact of the work stoppage, including additional site security and access measures, to be approximately $5 million. In addition, the Temiscaming cogen project turbine is now scheduled to produce contract power by mid-January 2015, a delay of approximately one month from the previously scheduled date. The strike combined with the mandatory two-week construction holidays in the province of Quebec during the holiday season led to the revised schedule.

The site in Temiscaming employs 850 people of which 650 are unionized and comprises four main facilities manufacturing specialty pulp, high-yield pulp, multi-ply coated bleached board, phenolic resins and lignosulfonates.