United Steelworkers union welcomes BC NDP plan to protect forestry jobs and communities

BURNABY, B.C., Oct. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The United Steelworkers union (USW) welcomes the BC NDP’s commitments to support forestry workers and communities through new investments to keep mills operating, protect jobs and strengthen B.C.’s forestry sector. The union says the plan is a positive step toward addressing the challenges facing the industry.

The BC NDP’s proposed $120-million Forestry Jobs Protection Fund, investments in mill modernization, improved access to fibre and efforts to expand international markets are welcome commitments for an industry hit hard by decades of unfair U.S. softwood lumber tariffs, mill closures and job losses.

“Forestry workers and their communities have been through a lot, and these commitments are positive steps,” said Scott Lunny, USW Director for Western Canada. “Keeping mills open and people working needs to be a priority. We’re pleased to see the BC NDP putting forward a plan to support the industry, and we want to keep building on that work to give forestry workers and their families some much-needed stability.”

The USW is also calling on all candidates in the B.C. election to support a Working Forest strategy that balances conservation, reconciliation and good jobs. This includes securing a reliable timber supply for B.C. mills, directly tying logging rights to keeping mills operating and workers employed, and establishing a Forestry Jobs Protection Commissioner to help prevent further mill closures and job losses.

“We have the resources and the skilled workers right here in B.C. What we need is a commitment to keeping those resources working for our communities. There’s more work to do, but these are encouraging steps. We want to see a forestry industry that provides good union jobs and supports families and communities for generations to come,” said Lunny.

About the United Steelworkers union
The USW represents 225,000 members in nearly every economic sector across Canada and is the largest private-sector union in North America, with 850,000 members in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean.

Each year, thousands of workers choose to join the USW because of its strong track record in creating safer, more respectful workplaces and negotiating better wages, benefits and pensions.

For more information:
Scott Lunny, USW Western Canada Director, 604-329-5308, slunny@usw.ca
Brett Barden, USW Communications, 604-445-6956, bbarden@usw.ca