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DRYDEN — One month after bargaining talks between Domtar and Unifor broke down, both parties sat back at the table to reach three tentative contract agreements for more than 450 forestry workers in Dryden.
“We have a working relationship with Domtar, so we agreed to meet with them and use those days to see if we could get over the hump and make some progress toward an agreement,” said Unifor National Representative Stephen Boon.
Although Boon wouldn't share specific details until after Local 324 and 105 members vote to ratify the tentative deal, Boon said the agreement does secure Unifor's Eastern Canada pulp and paper pattern for the next four years.
“I think at the end of the day both parties were able to come to a common agreement and resolve the local items and move onto the pattern,” said Boon.
According to Boon, the pattern agreement was a non-negotiable part of the contract, which Domtar agreed.
The terms of the pattern agreement will provide a 24 per cent increase in wages, significant group benefits, night and evening shift premiums, and double time for Sunday after four hours for several positions including production, maintenance, and office employees at the Dryden Pulp Mill as well as another 225 woodlands harvesting, chipping, and trucking members in Unifor Local 324.
“This particular pattern has extremely good raises. Inflation is running high. Everyone is being impacted by it and the timing in that sense is very good for our membership,” Boon said.
Salary adjustments for all production members are $2.50 per hour and $3.50 per hour raises for members in the trades over the term of the contract. There will be additional general wage increases of three per cent retroactively from Sept. 1, 2022, with an increase every year afterwards until the contract expires.
“We’re very pleased. We’re where we want it to be. Overall, it was about two and a half weeks of negotiations that went very smoothly,” Boon said.
“It’s nice to have an agreement in place before Christmas because it gives everyone certainty going into the new year.”
When asked if the sale of the mill factored into the contract negations, Boon said the contract would extend to the new buyers.
“I don’t see a lot of issues here with the sale. There was a lot of concern with the sale,” said Boon.
“The nice thing about a collective agreement is the collective agreement carries on no matter who buys it."
Unifor Local 324 and 105 members will vote to ratify the collective agreement this Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
