Contract Talks Suspended

Abitibi-Bowater and its union are suspending contract talks while they press Provincial Governments for commitments to protect pensions in the company’s restructuring.
Dave Coles, president of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union, says the 2-sides are proposing the establishment of a trust that would allow current pension benefits to continue.
Delegates from 23 local unions at AbitibiBowater pulp and paper mills in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia met with company officials in Montreal this week to explore the renegotiation of the collective agreements which expired in May.
Abitibi-Bowater is under CCAA protection and has a deficit in its pension plans of $1.3-billion.