Forest Workers Offered Deal

Thursday, October 16, 2008 05:29 PM

VICTORIA - A program designed to help older forest workers transition to retirement is opening new opportunities for forest-dependent families, Blair Lekstrom, Minister of Community Development says in news release

More than 1,000 letters are already in the mail to forest workers, confirming a payment up to $60,000, to help them transition to retirement. The funds are being made available through the Community Development Trust's $85.5-million Transition Assistance program, announced as part of a larger suite of supports in May of this year.

"We are pleased to be able to help so many people in the forest sector through the Community Development Trust programs," said Lekstrom. "Our team engaged more than 30 representatives from unions, industry, non-profit organizations and government when designing the Transition Assistance program criteria. Clearly, these consultations have helped open this program to as many forest workers as possible."

The Transition Assistance program is designed to help those age 55 or older move towards retirement, while opening new opportunities for junior forest workers.

"This program has helped our members and other forest workers in the north make the early transition to retirement possible, and in the process created job opportunities for others that faced lay-offs over the last year in those operations," said Frank Everitt, president ofthe United Steelworkers Local 1-424.

More than 2,250 applications were received for the first round of funding. Due to the volume of applicants, the review of applications is still ongoing.

Blair Lekstrom will appear on the Meisner Porgam at 9.00am. Friday

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Posted on Thursday, October 16, 2008 05:29 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on October 16 2008 10:51 PM

Lota money .. There better be some young taxpayers out there ready to pick up the financial load.

Posted by: PGDriver on October 17 2008 6:43 AM

Why only forest workers?

Posted by: Bridge on October 17 2008 9:41 AM

Is that the only solution we have is to take from one sector of society and give it to another?

May be we should be looking at developing jobs by encouraging secondary industry. Surly we can make our own clothing, manufacture of appliances, furniture and the list is endless. Instead we accept junk from off shore countruies for profit by a few.

Recently on the news with all this stock market hype someone pointed out that a Corporation had made a profit of 12 billion. Who got all this money? All we seem to be able to produce is money. Sure as hell makes a very poor diet.

Cheers

Posted by: govsux on October 18 2008 1:17 PM

Election coming, think of all the forestry jobs they're creating. Ha ha ha