Since the beginning of the week, the Arbec sawmill in Parent has been shut down for an indefinite period. Nearly a hundred workers have been laid off without knowing what to expect next. Only a handful of employees will keep their jobs for the next few weeks. The workers' union has reacted strongly and is urging Quebec City to take action "to prevent the collapse of an entire community."
"When the factory shuts down indefinitely, it's an entire village that comes to a standstill. The sawmill is not just another employer: it is the backbone of this community," said Luc Vachon, president of the CSD, in a press release.
The union points out that, in this isolated forestry village in Haute-Mauricie, the sawmill is "the economic and social heart of the community" and that, without it, "the very existence of Parent is threatened."
A deep climate of uncertainty has settled in the village: fears persist and the atmosphere is far from comforting. People are worried about the fate of the workers.
"We don't know when it will open, it's a minimum of six months [...] Some people won't have had time to work the 720 hours required to qualify for unemployment insurance, so I have workers who, in April, will have nothing," says Olivier Larouche, support advisor for the CSD.
"With Christmas just two weeks away, this is back-to-back bad news for some workers. We want both the federal and provincial governments to respond as quickly as possible so that these families can have a minimum quality of life, enjoy the holidays, and be sure that they will have something to live on next April," he adds.
A meeting with the employer is scheduled for January to discuss the future of the plant, the union confirms, but we are well aware of the difficult context.
This decision comes at a time when the forestry sector is already experiencing a major crisis marked by tariffs and countervailing duties that are weakening businesses.
"Our companies are caught in a vise: U.S. tariffs on one side, uncertainty about the forestry regime on the other. Without clear support from Quebec City and Ottawa that is commensurate with the impacts, it is workers, families, and communities like Parent that pay the price," Mr. Vachon points out.
The union is calling on the Legault government to take immediate action to help the industry and the community of Parent. The CSD is calling for an emergency plan for the forestry sector.
"Forest communities no longer have the capacity to absorb successive shocks on their own," insists the CSD president.
"We can't wait until June next year, it will be too late," argues Olivier Larouche.
In particular, the union is calling on the Quebec government to implement "a plan to provide financial support to workers and municipalities whose survival depends directly on the forestry industry" and to put in place "a genuine industrial strategy to ensure the long-term repositioning of the forestry industry."
It should also be noted that citizens have serious concerns about Route 25, which is maintained by the forestry industry.
By
iceman ·
