Steelworkers slam Campbell and MLA Kevin Krueger for ignoring forest workers and communities

KAMLOOPS, BC - On Tuesday leaders of the United Steelworkers (USW) took aim at the Gordon Campbell government and Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Kevin Krueger for ignoring the closure of the Weyerhaeuser Kamloops sawmill.

At a rally outside Krueger's constituency office, USW Wood Council Chair Bob Matters joined USW Local 1-417 President Marty Gibbons and speakers from the Kamloops and District Labour Council, the provincial and federal NDP, CUPE and the CEP to criticize the government for its complete inaction in assisting forest workers and communities.

In February, Weyerhaeuser announced the mill would permanently close effective May 12, 2008. That closure is linked to the sell-off of publicly owned forests to West Fraser Timber Ltd., which subsequently spun off a forest license to Interfor - all at undisclosed prices.

"The BC Liberals doomed forest revitalization legislation has made this sudden closure and public land deals possible without any input from workers or the community of Kamloops," says Matters. "Meanwhile Kevin Krueger has sat quietly on his hands while valuable jobs are disappearing from the community he is supposed to represent."

Some 200 workers employed directly in the sawmill are having their jobs eliminated while the Domtar pulp mill in Kamloops has to source its fibre supply from other companies.

"Kevin Krueger is no better than Forests Minister Rich Coleman or Premier Campbell himself when it comes to defending our communities' interests," says Gibbons. "They all say they can't help forest-dependent communities because their hands are tied. The truth is that these elected officials all voted for and today support the laws that have allowed Weyerhaeuser and West Fraser to negotiate the deal they wanted, subject to no ministerial review and without public consultation."

There have been at least 46 permanent closures of wood processing facilities in the province of British Columbia since May 2001.