BARGAINING UPDATE #3
On August 28, the Company, Stella Jones provided every employee with a bargaining bulletin responding to the Union’s bargaining update. It is a shame that the Company is not willing to make the same effort at the bargaining table as the effort they make to bargain directly with the membership. The response is nonsense and intended to distract from the real issues. Please don’t expect that our members are so naive that they would think that maybe the inflation rate in 2022 (6.7%) wasn’t that bad? The Company’s numbers are the yearly average and don’t reflect the spikes (like 8.1% in May 2022) that we all lived through. Please don’t try to dupe your employees that inflation wasn’t that bad when the prices have still not come down for our necessities like groceries, gas, rent, mortgages etc.
The Company has spent all of their time and energy trying to convince employees that what they have tabled since day one of bargaining is fair and how dare the employees not accept their offer. What they don’t understand is that the majority of you don’t think the offer is fair and the offer does not recognize the significant contributions that you all make that result in record profits for Stella Jones year over year. The shareholders always get their dividends but the employees have to beg for fair compensation so they can afford to live and work in the lower mainland?
If Stella Jones is itching for a fight they picked the right union. We are ready for a fight to get what you have told us you need and what you deserve.
Preparations are almost complete to put us in an organized and prepared situation. Thank you for those that contacted us looking for alternate employment during a work stoppage and perhaps beyond. We have almost completed a Treater schedule as required by the Essential Services Order. There are still a few more members that need to fill out your preferred hours of picket duty. Thank you to those that volunteered to be Picket Captains.
The Local has contacted Sgt. Dave Smith of the RCMP Police/Labour Relations Department to coordinate our actions during a work stoppage. We are prepared.
Our Communications Director is working diligently to get our issues to the forefront of local and national news so that everyone can see what Stella Jones really stands for.
We are meeting with the Minister of Forests in an attempt to stop the outsourcing of our work to the United States.
It’s a shame that the Company wants to go this route rather than offer a fair contract.
Do not listen to fake news from the Company or its agents. Support our bargaining Committee.