West Fraser has always been a great company and has for years had an excellent relationship with their employees. West Fraser also has some of the best forest industry workers in the country at their mills. I think of West Fraser and their employees somewhat like a "family" and I am trusting that this good relationship with play a big role in these initial talks.

Both Hank Ketcham and Frank Everitt are great leaders who understand that a "team" approach yeilds far better results than a "worker" / "employer confrontation.

I wish them all huge success as they go forward in these talks.

West Fraser has a great relationship with their unionized employees?
When did this start?

unionized workers..... don't give up all that you and your predecessors worked for. Give up some of the frills, but not the fundamentals of wages, and pensions.

it easy for Frank to come in like a knight in shinning armour when the economy is starting to recover. The longer you hold out, the less you will give up.

I agree with everything gimmeabreak said above. This was a good move by the Steelworkers IMO.

gimmeabreak= ?????????????????
sorry i cant even comment about how far from reality you really are
I just hope they buy me dinner before they take advantage of me
rumer is they want the same deal as chetwynd canfor 30% wage cut
by the way frank bargained that

So, did Frank take a 30% cut in pay too?

I think the days of the union is going. I think this is the end of the line for them. The working man now is now an informed and educated man. Thus, most employers would rather deal with each employees in a fair and equitable manner.

So the working man is supporting a bunch of fat cats, driving around big fancy SUV's and really self serving them selves only.

eiowe should gets his/her facts straight, Chetwynd Did Not take a 30% wage cut, and Frank Did Not do the bargaining for that Mill.

farnorth what are the facts 29%?????5$/hour
desperate people do desperate things eh

oh my bad its only 20% i feel better now

I am confused, and perhaps someone who knows for sure can educate me and others which West Fraser operations have the steelworkers union.

http://www.dealwithsteel.ca/westfraser.html

Is this the same Frank that ran the IWA into the ground, giving his retiring brothers and sisters 40-45% of there hard earned pensions and one of the major reasons it's the steelworkers union now????

Things that make you say hmmmm.