B.C. government unveils $69 million aid package for workers in beleaguered forest industry
Credit to Author: Derrick Penner| Date: Tue, 17 Sep 2019 18:41:51 +0000
The province unveiled a $69-million aid package for forestry workers who have lost jobs in the cascade of sawmill closures and curtailments, which includes help for early retirement, skills training and make-work projects.
As many as 3,000 mill workers have lost work during this summer’s production cutbacks, Donaldson said, including as many as 700 permanently with the permanent closure of four mills.
“The announcement you hear today is building on the work of the community transition teams,” that have been on the ground in affected communities since May, Donaldson said.
While government has been taking heat from the opposition for the length of time it has taken to come up with a package, Donaldson argued that those transition teams have been taking feedback on what communities needed “making sure we got it right.”
Those measures that Donaldson announced, with Labour Minister Harry Bains and his Parliamentary Secretary Ravi Kahlon, include:
• $40 million for an early-retirement bridging program, cost-shared with companies, for older workers;
• $15 million in short-term forest employment programs including fire prevention and resiliency projects;
• $12 million in additional programs and employer grants for skills training;
• $2 million for a new job placement coordination office that will track the transition and employment of impacted forest workers on an individual basis.
• Community support programs to offer short-term assistance to communities more profoundly hit by the loss of a major employer.
In making the announcement, Donaldson called on the federal government to step in and the forest industry to increase its supports for workers who have lost jobs.
West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. CEO Ray Ferris said the province’s aid package “aligns with our efforts at West Fraser t ensure continuing employment and opportunity for our hard-working employees and their families,” as industry and government work on longer-term solutions during its transition.
More to come