BC Forestry Workers Stand Up to Anti-Worker Offensive

Demonstrations Throughout BC Against Job Losses

Demonstrations are occurring in many towns and cities throughout the province, protesting job losses and mill closures. The present downturn is one of the worst in the long history of recurring crises in the forestry sector.

The authorities attempt to explain why they have been unable to deal with the problem by citing a lack of available timber due to market forces, the end of the pine beetle harvest and forest fires. These explanations merely expose the impotence of those in charge. Nothing has been done to build a forest industry throughout BC that does not suffer from boom and bust cycles. Nor has anything been done to develop diverse local economies that do not depend on outside market forces.

The problem stems from lack of control of the working people living in the interior, coastal towns and Vancouver Island. A financial oligarchy has historically used the social wealth workers produce for its own narrow private interests rather than developing all-sided local economies. This issue has been amplified recently when those in control of the majority of mills used revenue to purchase and build mills in the U.S. and shut down production in BC.

Who Decides? and Who Controls? the regional economies are issues that must be addressed if the recurring problems are to be solved. The working people must gain control over their economy so they can solve problems in ways that favour them and their communities.

This article was published in:

Renewal Update No. 23, October 1, 2019

Article Link:
BC Forestry Workers Stand Up to Anti-Worker Offensive: Demonstrations Throughout BC Against Job Losse