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A northwestern Ontario lumber mill shut down during the 2009 housing crisis in the United States is set to reopen with a new long-term contract with Unifor Local 324-308 that secures up to 300 jobs.
“This is good news for the workers and the community, and shows that we can work together to benefit all,” Unifor Local 324-308 president George Smith said.
EACOM said it would restart its Ear Falls sawmill in the spring of 2014. The mill, which makes softwood studs for the American housing market, shut in 2009 as housing prices plummeted south of the boarder in the wake of the economic slowdown.
The sawmill will produce more than 150 million board feet of stud lumber a year, with up to 125 Unifor members at the sawmill site and up to 175 more Unifor members in log harvesting and hauling operations.
The deal calls for wage increases of 20 per cent over eight years, immediate raises for some workers, a six per cent employer match defined contribution pension plan, improvements to benefits and the boot allowance, company funding for union training and improvements to seniority, layoffs, postings, bumping and contracting out language.
The contract also contained a commitment to encourage first nations opportunities in sawmill and woodlands operations.
In addition, the Unifor flag will fly at the sawmill and the union’s logo will appear on all finished lumber packaging.
