Pacific Northwest Weyerhaeuser Employees Vote On Union Strike Authority
About 1,200 Weyerhaeuser Co. employees in Washington and Oregon voted overwhelmingly to give the regional woodworkers union strike authority, paving the way for a work stoppage if negotiators continue to disagree on terms of a new labor contract.
The final ballot tally was more than 90 percent in favor of strike authority, said Wayne Thompson, district business representative of the International Aerospace and Machinists/Woodworkers Local District W24 Lodge. The vote total included ballots from nearly 400 union sawmill and other workers in Longview-based Woodworkers Local 536. Workers from Coos Bay, Ore., to Aberdeen, Wash., also participated in the vote.
Union members also voted down the most recent version of a proposed contract by roughly the same margin, Thompson said. “I’ve never seen our crews this solid,” he said. Thompson said negotiators are still working with Weyerhaeuser representatives to get back to the bargaining table.
“We are disappointed in this outcome, but optimistic that we can continue to work with union leaders to reach a mutually acceptable agreement,” Weyerhaeuser said in a statement.
No date has been set for a strike, but no further contract talks are scheduled, Thompson said. However, an official at Woodworkers Local 24 in the Raymond area said the union and company have scheduled talks on July 10-11, 2018 the Raymond, Wash.-based Willapa Harbor Herald reported.
From The Daily News: tdn.com.
RELATED ARTICLES
Weyerhaeuser Buys 69,000 Acres
Latest News
U.S. Housing Starts Complete Robust Year
U.S. housing starts increased 1.4% in December over November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.702 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development monthly new residential construction report. It’s also 2.5% above December 2020…
Coalition Applauds Commerce Ruling
U.S. Dept. of Commerce issued its final determination in the second administrative review of softwood lumber imports from Canada, and revealed a combined anti-subsidy and anti-dumping duty rate of 17.9%, confirming yet again that Canadian imports are unfairly subsidized and traded into the U.S. market, according to the U.S. Lumber Coalition…
Build Back Better Awards Oregon Group
Oregon Mass Timber Coalition was named by the Economic Development Administration (EDA) as a finalist in the $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge. The coalition was awarded $500,000 to create a strategy for a Mass Timber Modular Manufacturing Facility at Marine Terminal 2 in Portland…
Find Us On Social
Newsletter
The monthly Timber Processing Industry Newsletter reaches over 4,000 mill owners and supervisors.
Subscribe/Renew
Timber Processing is delivered 10 times per year to subscribers who represent sawmill ownership, management and supervisory personnel and corporate executives. Subscriptions are FREE to qualified individuals.
Advertise
Complete the online form so we can direct you to the appropriate Sales Representative.