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Veneer plant closes
Union urges flexibility, honesty from Ainsworth

“Any way we can help you out, we gladly will do it,” said Santokh Attwal in an interview last Wednesday.

Attwal is the plant chairman for the United Steelworkers (USW) members who had manned Ainsworth Lumber’s Lillooet veneer plant. He wanted to assure the workers that he and other union officials are available if they need any assistance.

Employees worked their last shift on June 16 before the company stopped operations at the veneer plant that morning.

Earlier in the month, Ainsworth announced it was laying off plant employees because of low demand for its products. The company maintained it would try to reopen the plant as soon as possible.

Three employees have been asked to stay on as watchmen on the grounds, according to Attwal.

Of the plant’s chances of reopening, he said, “We assume they will get back.”

Later, he said, “Our employer is our pride,” adding that many workers at the veneer plant had served the company for decades.

“Our first priority is always our job opportunities.

“We are not after any severance packages or anything.”

However, he urged Ainsworth to be honest to its employees about its future in Lillooet.

“We want them to be sincerely up front.

“We have been around for many years…They cannot play games because we’re ahead of the game. We know what we’re talking about.”

He said many employees were frustrated by how Ainsworth dealt with changes in the market as well as its own workers.

Attwal said the company’s high-priced veneer products are being poorly received in the current market.

Victor Adrian, plant secretary for the USW, agreed.

“There just doesn’t seem to be a willingness to diversify their product line in order to stay in business.

“The union has been after them for years to diversify. They (the company) tell us that they try a new product every now and again but they don’t seem to want to stick to it.”

Attwal also criticized the company for buying outside veneer from Nanaimo on the open market and sending it to Savona (both Lillooet and Savona are part of Ainsworth‘s specialty plywood division) instead of supporting its own workers and products.

“If you keep on buying outside and leave your own quota alone, you’re drowning yourself.”

Both Adrian and Attwal said the company has protected management over hourly employees.

“In Lillooet, we have eight or nine supervisors and 16 employees,” said Adrian. He added that he had been told that laying off hourly workers was easier because they could collect employment insurance but the company would have to continue paying salaried employees even if they were laid off.

Attwal said the union has offered help to Ainsworth but only if the company opens its books to union auditors, gives a frank account of its finances, and is willing to negotiate.

He said he believed that if the company had been more creative, the plant might still be open.

He stressed that Lillooet‘s success is tied to the success of the forestry industry. “Our community deserves to survive.”

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