The United Steelworkers (USW) union issued a news release yesterday in which they reported that the BC Interior Bargaining Committee had reached a tentative collective agreement with the Council on Northern Interior Forest Employment Relations (CONIFER).

Details were not released but in general terms, the USW says that the four-year agreement, which would expire on July 1, 2013, provides for the following:

• general wage increases in the 3rd and 4th year;
• a trades rate adjustment;
• a profit pay plan that may provide workers additional compensation as the forest industry recovers;
• enhanced job security;
• improved Health and Welfare Benefits;
• a stabilized Long Term Disability Plan; and
• improved contract language with regards to permanent and partial closures of lumber manufacturing operations.

CONIFER, an industry association that employs about 2,000 USW Local 1-424 and 1-425 members. It represents the following employers and respective mill sites:

• Conifex - Site #1 in Mackenzie;
• Conifex - Site #2 in Mackenzie;
• Conifex in Fort St. James:
• Dunkley Lumber Ltd. in Hixon:
• Hampton Affiliates - Babine Forest Products in Burns Lake;
• Lakeland Mills Ltd. in Prince George;
• Tolko Industries Ltd. - Soda Creek in Williams Lake;
• Tolko Industries Ltd. - Lakeview in Williams Lake;
• Tolko Industries Ltd. - Creekside in Williams Lake;
• Tolko Industries Ltd. - Questwood in Quesnel;
• West Fraser - West Fraser Planer in Williams Lake;
• Winton Global - Prince George Planer in Prince George; and
• Winton Global - Hart Sawmill in Bear Lake.