B.C. government reinstates special mediators in bitter forestry strike

VICTORIA – The British Columbia government has asked two mediators to try again to help find a resolution in the coastal forestry dispute, just days after they withdrew their services over a deadlock.

Labour Minister Harry Bains says Amanda Rogers and Vince Ready have been appointed by the government as special mediators in the strike by the United Steelworkers against Western Forest Products.

Rogers and Ready pulled out Tuesday saying the two sides were too far apart, but Bains says they’ll now have additional powers under the labour code to reach a settlement.

The government says in a news release that if the parties can’t reach agreement after more collective bargaining, the mediators will provide recommended terms for settlement.

Each side will have five days to accept or reject the proposal and the minister of labour can make the terms of the settlement public.

About 3,000 workers and contractors have been off the jobs since last July and Bains says the dispute has taken a huge toll on the entire coastal forestry community.

“I am confident that with the assistance of two of the nation’s top mediators, and the additional powers provided to them under the Labour Relations Code by this appointment, both sides can achieve a deal that ensures the sustainability of coastal forestry jobs and supports the terms and conditions of employment important to workers.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 6, 2020.