Unifor is warning of a worsening shortage of skilled trades workers across the northwest.
Local national representative Stephen Boon says the forestry rebound is well underway, but several mills don’t have the trained staff needed.
Boon says trades people at existing operations such as Domtar and Resolute are retiring in increasing numbers and re-opening sawmills in Ear Falls, Kenora and several other northern communities are now competing to recruit from the dwindling pool of trades people.
He notes recruiting a full contingent of trades people has been surprisingly difficult despite pay increases of 36% in Ear Falls and 58% in Kenora.
Unifor believes if Canada wasn’t facing a recession and experiencing a severe downturn in the mining and oil industry, it would be almost impossible to recruit enough trades to get all of the region’s mills back up and and keep them operating at full production.
Boon says the federal Conservatives are about two or three years too late with a plan to address the area’s high unemployment rate and long standing issue of shortage of trades.
Boon notes it takes about four years to train an apprentice and not enough is being done to help the situation.
