According to a report this past week by the Canadian Labour Reporter, Toronto, Canada, Unifor and the Public and Private Workers of Canada (PPWC) recently held a meeting in Vancouver to prepare for collective bargaining in 2017.

The gathering marked the third joint meeting between the unions.

PPWC and Unifor have participated in pattern bargaining in the past. The parties’ bargaining strategy under the Joint Pulp and Paper Caucus has resulted in maintaining common pension, wage, and benefit language in the collective agreements of both organizations, according to Unifor.

"Both unions will be well-prepared and united when we sit down with the employer next year," said Scott Doherty, executive assistant to Unifor’s national president.

While the unions have bargained separately since 2002, they have agreed to work together in the future. Unifor and PPWC currently collaborate on the Pulp and Paper Industry Pension Plan as well as the Pulp and Paper Safety Conference.

PPWC represents thousands of workers across British Columbia and Unifor represents about 310,000 workers across the country.