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Unifor members in Ear Falls, Ont., gathered at the municipal government building to call for immediate action to reopen the Interfor Ear Falls sawmill that recently shut down production.
“The jobs at Ear Falls sawmill are good, union jobs that support this entire region and we are here to demand action to save these jobs and support families right now who are being affected by the trade war with the U.S.,” said Unifor Ontario Regional Director Samia Hashi. “One quarter of the population of this town works at this sawmill, so the impact to the community can’t be understated. We need action now!”
Hashi joined workers from the shuttered mill as they marched carrying red Unifor flags outside the government offices. Interfor made the decision to curtail operations last week, giving the union no indication how long the curtailment will last.
At the time of the closure, Hashi remarked that if the Ear Falls sawmill wasn’t safe from shutdown then no operation in Ontario was safe. Ear Falls is fortunate to have a secure relationship with Dryden Fibre in nearby Dryden, Ont., that purchases chips from the sawmill.
“Forestry operations are deeply inter-connected and rely on each other as products move through different levels of the value-add supply chain,” said Unifor Local 324 President Katrina Peterson. “The biggest challenge for forestry operations has been and continues to be this ongoing softwood lumber trade war with the United States. We need to see a trade agreement for forestry immediately.”
The Ontario government provided funding for some mills in recent months, but Unifor and other advocates say patchwork funding will not be enough to revive or protect the sector.
Read more about Unifor’s Fight for Forestry Jobs.
