Tolko employees feeling the pinch following string of downtime: Union

The president of the union representing the hundreds of Tolko employees dealing with a string of curtailments says the uncertainty and weeks without work has become a stressful situation for members.

“A lot of people are going to have to dig into savings or whatever they have to get through it,” Union President Pat McGregor of USW Local 1-423 said.

He told Vernon Matters much of the stress faced by members has to do with the short notice given to employees, with many receiving notice only a day and a half prior to the scheduled downtime.

“It’s pretty hard to plan and work your way through these issues when you get such short notice of layoff. If you knew something was coming down the road you might not buy the TV or the new fridge or anything. It’s the fear of the unknown and the uncertainty,” McGregor said.

On Thursday (Aug. 15) Tolko announced it would curtail operations for two weeks starting Aug. 17 at the Armstrong mill and their White Valley veneer operations in Lumby.

Possible firearm involved

One person apprehended in connection with suspicious activity in Coldstream

17h ago

Fatal Collision, Highway Closed

One person dead in crash near Revelstoke

18h ago

Salaries

Vernon Council to discuss lesser pay increases

20h ago

Heffley Creek plywood and veneer operations in Kamloops will also take downtime from August 24 to Sept. 2, 2019.

Approximately 700 workers are affected.

Tolko Industries first announced downtime this year for the Armstrong and Soda Creek mill in May.

Since then the Kelowna operation also announced downtime on Aug. 6, and are slated to be off the job site until Sept. 15.

In a press release statement, Tolko industries blamed the shutdown on poor market conditions and the high cost of logs.

The weak market has also led to the closure of the Tolko Mill in Quesnel and a shift reduction in Kelowna.

“Unfortunately, we do not have enough economic fibre to keep all of our British Columbia mills running efficiently and productively. We knew that AAC reductions were coming in British Columbia due to the devastation caused by the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic. The curtailments announced today are sooner than anticipated due to uneconomic log costs, weak lumber markets, and the catastrophic impacts of wildfires,” Tolko Industries said in a May 10 press release.

Several unions urged the Ministry of Forests Lands and Natural Resources to help their ailing industry in a meeting last month.

“They’ve told us that there is stuff going on in the background that may be helpful soon but we just have not seen it yet or heard much about it,” McGregor said.