Press Release
In order to recruit and retain a full contingent of qualified trades people for a sawmill re-start this fall, Unifor Local 324 and Kenora Forest Products have agreed to an immediate $5.00/hour pay boost for all licensed trades.
“By the final year of the current six-year collective agreement, skilled trades in Kenora will now see their total pay rise by over 58 percent to $41.79/hour or near the top of Eastern Canada’s sawmill industry,” said Stephen Boon, Unifor national representative.
“While free and balanced labour negotiations have helped secure solid, high paying start-up deals for hundreds of unionized sawmill workers in Kenora, Ear Falls, and several other Northwestern Ontario communities, the federal Conservative Government has inexplicably launched a series of politically motivated attacks in an attempt to weaken organized labour in this country,” cautioned Boon.
About 15 Unifor members are currently working on a multi-million dollar expansion project at Kenora Forest Products and the total unionized membership will reach about 110 employees.
