Weyerhaeuser eliminates 300 jobs in Saskatchewan: Steelworkers slam province for lack of action

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2008/21/c4782.html

PRINCE ALBERT, SK, Feb. 21 /CNW/ - Wednesday's announced permanent
closure of two forest products manufacturing plants in northeast Saskatchewan
have hit forest-dependent communities hard, say the United Steelworkers (USW).

The giant Weyerhaeuser Corporation announced the permanent closures of
the Hudson Bay plywood plant and Carrot River lumber stud mill, eliminating
183 and 116 direct jobs from rural economies.

In addition to manufacturing job losses, hundreds of logging and hauling
jobs are disappearing as well as spin-off jobs, in commercial and retail
sectors of both communities.

Both mills have not operated since January 2007, when Weyerhaeuser put
them on the auction block.

USW Western Canada Director Stephen Hunt said the new Saskatchewan
government has taken no action and appears "entirely disinterested" in
protecting forest-dependent communities from "staggering job losses".

"Only days after the November 2007 election Premier Brad Wall pulled the
government out of an agreement with Domtar to help save forest industry jobs
in the province," said Hunt. "Now Weyerhaeuser is permanently pulling the rug
from under Hudson Bay and Carrot River and the government is nowhere to be
found."

USW Local 1-184 President Paul Hallen said the government must amend the
Pasquia/Porcupine Forest Management Agreement, which provides Weyerhaeuser
with access to some 1.8 million hectares of Crown lands.

FULL story at link.