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MERRITT HERALD THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 • MERRITT NEWSPAPERS
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NORTH WIND BLOWS IN The four members of Quebec band Le Vent Du Nord gather around the microphone to sing an a cappella verse at their concert in Merritt on March 14. The folk band played to an enthusiastic crowd at the Civic Centre as the fourth and final concert in the 2013-14 Nicola Valley Community Arts Council’s concert series. Emily Wessel/Herald
Coastal port strike hits local industry By Michael Potestio the herald
reporter@merrittherald.com
Roughly 60 layoffs are on their way at Aspen Planers as the lumber mill continues to feel the effects of a container truck drivers’ strike at Port Metro Vancouver. Starting Monday, Aspen Planers will temporarily lay off those employees at their site two location along Houston Street to cope with
the effects of that strike. Aspen Planers president Surinder Ghog told the Herald the mill at site one will continue to operate. Next week, the company will stop dressing wood at site two, and if the strike continues, further action will likely be taken in about two to three weeks’ time, Ghog said. “If this port dispute continues – all of our export shipments are
now being curtailed – we’re going to have to start shifting our primary manufacturing to products that we’re able to move,” he said. Ghog said the company will have to focus more on products that can go to the U.S. market instead. “If this strike doesn’t let up, then it’ll affect more of our operations on a temporary basis. “There has to be some sort of resolution to this issue of transporta-
tion into the port,” Ghog said. Ghog said the company has canvassed alternative options to solve their shipping issue, but said there are problems with transport by boat and railway, including winter weather. Once the issue at Port Metro Vancouver is resolved, Aspen Planers will call laid-off employees back to work, Ghog said. The work stoppage is expected
to cost Aspen Planers over $200,000 per week. Ghog said Aspen Planers has not lost any contracts as a result of the strike, but that’s a possibility. On average, 24 trucks of lumber per day leave Aspen Planers, he said. The strike has hindered Aspen Planers from shipping to customers, resulting in about a two-week delay.
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