Tembec, CEP Negotiate New Five-Year Collective Agreement

Tembec, Temiscaming, Que., Canada, this week announced that negotiations for a new collective agreement with CEP local 448, representing workers at its Chetwynd, B.C., high yield pulp mill, have been successfully concluded. The new agreement will be for a term of five years and was reached following what the company termed "very straightforward negotiations." It was ratified over the weekend by what the company understands to be a large majority of the membership. Tembec also indicated that, with this new agreement in place and market conditions for pulp improving, the Chetwynd mill would restart in January.

The Chetwynd mill, which produces high yield pulp and has an annual capacity of 240,000 metric tons, has been shutdown since February of this year due to market conditions. It employs some 160 people, of whom 115 are covered by the new collective agreement. The mill also provides employment for 35 First Nation workers through their company, Three Nation Ventures.