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Unifor members in five cities will hold rallies on Monday June 19 to encourage the federal government to reach a negotiated softwood deal with the U.S. before any more jobs are lost.
“The federal government’s recent aid package for the industry was important, but the most important outcome is a negotiated softwood lumber agreement with the U.S. that benefits Canadian communities,” said Jerry Dias, Unifor National President. “With the right choices and strong action, Canada’s forestry industry can continue to have a key role in our economy.”
Forestry workers, their allies, and employers will hold events in the following cities to send a united and urgent message to the federal government to defend forestry jobs:
New Brunswick:
Irving Pulp & Paper Ltd, 408 Mill Road, Saint John @ 3 p.m. ADT
Media contact: Shelley Amyotte (902) 717-7491
Quebec has three events:
Section locale 3057 - 82, rue Beaudry, Amos @ 2 p.m. EDT
19 avenue Marquette, Baie-Comeau @ 11 a.m. EDT
Usine Résolu – Kénogami - 3750, rue Champlain, Jonquière @ 2 p.m. EDT
Media contact: Marie-Andrée L’Heureux (514) 916-7373
Ontario:
Resolute Forest Products, 2001 Neebing Avenue, Thunder Bay @ 2 p.m. EDT
Media contact: Denise Hammond (416) 707-5794
Forestry provides 202,000 direct jobs in 650 communities across Canada. Forestry supply and transport companies create thousands more jobs; and the economic activity generated by the spending of forestry workers creates even more. For every forestry job, 1.5 jobs are created elsewhere in the economy. In total, forestry is responsible for more than half a million Canadian jobs.
After imposing a 20% countervailing tariff on Canadian softwood exports last month, it is anticipated that the Trump administration will add to those with “anti-dumping” tariffs on June 23.
For more information about the forestry sector’s contribution to Canada, visit the Unifor campaign website at unifor.org/softwood
