The union representing workers at the newly-purchased Kamloops pulp mill says its hoping the new employer will be able to help tackle a lingering issue – on-the-job training.
Unifor Local 10 President Sheldon Morris says an on-going struggle they’ve had for the last number of years is the pace of retirements, which he says can make it tough for people entering mill-life.
“It is difficult for some people coming in and they move up so fast into different jobs,” he told NL News. “They don’t really learn one job before they have to move to the next job.”
“With the amount of retirees in the last five to seven years, and we have a few still coming, we would like to see more of a mentorship or a progressive hiring.. Maybe carry some extra people to get the knowledge of the people before they retire.”
As such, Morris is suggesting it would be ideal to fill the gaps while on-the-job training can be completed.
“You can’t bring somebody in and just train them overnight. There are a lot of operating, a lot of knowledge of how to run the equipment, how the mill works,” he noted. “It takes months for some of these jobs to learn how to train on some of these jobs.”
However, speaking on the NL Noon Report, Morris also says while they’ve yet to sit down directly with Kruger, they like what they’re hearing so far from the company.
“They’ve been in business for over 120 years, so obviously they’re doing something right. The message we really have been getting the last couple of weeks is that they’re not here for the short term,” said Morris. “They’re looking at everything long term.”
Kruger’s Executive VP told NL News they don’t plan to cut any of the 320 jobs in Kamloops, adding they will keep the option for expansion on the table as well.
“Our goal, really over the next few weeks and months is really to ensure a smooth transition for everyone,” David Angel said, on the NL Morning News. “That is first and foremost.”
“We’re not here to change anything but rather to support and empower mill management and the operation to make sure that they can keep doing their great work that they’ve been doing.”
Angel was in Kamloops to meet with mill management and employees, telling NL News it is too soon to comment on expanding or modernizing the mill on Mission Flats Road.
“We’re not here to change anything,” he said. “If anything, over time, we’re a company that reinvests systematically into our operation so we’ll take a look around and if there are improvements that can be made and investments, we’ll certainly make them.”
Opened in 1965, the Kamloops pulp mill was sold to Weyerhaeuser in 1971 and again sold to Domtar in 2007.
The sale was required by the Competition Bureau of Canada as part of Domtar’s $3-billion merger with Richmond-based Paper Excellence, given the implications on the purchase of wood fibre in the Thompson-Okanagan.
— With files from Jeff Andreas, Paul James
