Photo: Unifor
Unifor calls for emergency support for the furniture-manufacturing sector following the back-to-back closures of Bestar and Meubles South Shore within a 24-hour period. These closures send a clear message: Quebec’s furniture manufacturing sector is in jeopardy. A total of 120 Unifor members are losing their jobs after Bestar announced it would close its Lac-Mégantic plant.
“Ottawa has the tools to act and has demonstrated its ability to respond quickly and effectively to sectoral crises affecting the country’s industrial economy. Minister Champagne’s announcement last week launching a safeguard investigation into low-cost imports in this sector is a step in the right direction. Now, that process must be accelerated and every effort made to protect good jobs in this country,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
South Shore announced earlier it would cease furniture production after 86 years of operation at its Sainte-Croix and Coaticook facilities, another major blow to Quebec’s furniture manufacturing sector.
The closures of these manufacturers, which process locally sourced wood, threaten not only good union jobs in the Estrie region, but an entire industrial supply chain. Unifor also represents workers at Tafisa in Lac-Mégantic, a key panel supplier for Bestar, and is concerned about the impact on those jobs.
“When companies shut down one after another, it’s not a coincidence. It’s the result of an extremely challenging economic environment where businesses are facing deteriorating market access conditions, compounded by growing dumping practices, particularly from Asia,” said Daniel Cloutier, Unifor Quebec Director.
Unifor notes that Canada too often becomes a fallback market for low-cost imports as U.S. trade measures redirect global flows.
“For our members, this is a shock, and we will be there to support them, stand with them, and defend their interests every step of the way. But we must also act now to strengthen the remaining players in the sector. For us, this is yet another example of the need to build a new industrial strategy for the wood products manufacturing sector. We are calling on the Government of Quebec to bring together key stakeholders across the industry and we stand ready to contribute to this effort,” added Cloutier.
