Kenora, Ontario – Unifor members in Kenora unanimously ratified a six year labour agreement with Kenora Forest Products on Thursday night. Along with a 67% increase in employer contributions to employee pensions, the new deal will see production pay rise by 18% and licensed trades pay increase by 36% to almost $36/hour by the final year of the contract.
Stephen Boon, Unifor National Representative, said, “We were finally able to conduct a ratification vote on the tentative deal reached last August now that the multi-million dollar expansion work has started and senior laid off Unifor members are being recalled to help prepare for a September sawmill re-start.”
“We are very pleased to see that the mill ownership’s unwavering commitment to this operation, the stability provided by this long-term labour deal, and the ongoing support by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry will soon help restore 105 good paying sawmill jobs along with several hundred indirect jobs in Kenora,” added Boon.