The organizer of this past week’s forestry rally at the legislature, says if the strike isn’t settled this weekend, it will stretch into the new year.
Bill Coates owns Roc Star enterprises – a logging road building and forestry company based in Port Alberni – says he’s had to lay off 50 employees, and is hoping the government will step in and force a settlement.
“I do know both sides, and I’m not picking either side, but they’re so far apart I think they need some government help,” he said. “There’s always a point where something has to call them out, and it’s just getting ridiculous now for them to be off this amount of time. They’ve been off for three seasons now and it’s about to be four seasons as we go into the new year.”
Coates said forestry in small communities, is as important as transit is in the big city, and urged BC Premier John Horgan to treat the two labour disputes similarily.
Horgan said in an interview that he’s heard “loud and clear” the stories of hardship and despair from mid- and North Island communities, and while contractors are suffering from a dispute that they don’t have a voice in, he’ll be looking at ways to protect their vehicles and equipment, promising further details in the new year.
