The two largest unions representing workers in Canada’s forestry sector, Unifor and the Public and Private Workers of Canada (PPWC), convened this week in Vancouver to solidify a coordinated approach for upcoming collective bargaining negotiations with pulp and paper employers in Western Canada.
This strategic move reinforces their collective power as they address shared challenges in the industry.
“We are stronger when we fight together,” stated Unifor National President Lana Payne. “The forestry sector is facing a broad range of issues that the workers are committed to addressing to sustain these good union jobs. We look forward to this next round of collective bargaining with our friends at the PPWC beside us.”
The collaboration between Unifor and the PPWC is not new; the two unions have effectively used pattern bargaining for years to maintain consistent standards in pensions, wages, and benefits across their collective agreements. In 2015, they formalized their efforts by establishing the Joint Pulp and Paper Caucus, an entity enabling them to strategize and negotiate in unison with shared employers.
PPWC President Geoff Dawe emphasized the significance of this partnership: “Our partnership with Unifor is important as we negotiate with common employers in an increasingly consolidated Canadian forestry industry. Through strategic pattern bargaining, we aim to build better wages and benefits for the next contract, while also working to protect these community-supporting jobs and help create a more sustainable forestry industry.”
The unions have already identified a target employer to begin negotiations, and the terms secured in this initial contract will set a benchmark for future agreements with other employers in the region.
