$19M in government funding for Crofton mill and nothing to show for it

CROFTON, BC, Nov. 24, 2023 /CNW/ - The fourth consecutive curtailment at the Paper Excellence paper mill in Crofton will keep more than 100 workers laid off and the community left wondering why they have nothing to show for $19 million in public funding from two levels of government.

The new curtailment will reportedly extend to the end of February 2024.

"This is the opposite of getting results. Millions of public dollars were invested and workers are off the job 10 months later," said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. "Workers and the community deserve answers from the company about why they are failing to meet established timelines. We also want answers from the provincial and federal government as to why we are saddled with curtailment after curtailment."

Paper Excellence received nearly $19 million in January 2023 as part of an investment to enable the restart of its C2 paper machine and upgrade the efficiency of the mill's boiler.

This is the fourth time Paper Excellence has announced a shutdown extension since May 2023, when a 30-day curtailment was planned.

"We've seen no plan for forestry workers facing layoffs other than a one-way ticket out of the industry," said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western Regional Director. "That's no way to treat the workers who have built our forestry industry and their communities deserve better answers from government."

Unifor Local 1132 represents 91 workers at the mill.

Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.

SOURCE Unifor

For media inquiries please contact Unifor Communications Representative Ian Boyko at [email protected] or 778-903-6549 (cell).