Written by SCOTT STANFIELD
Citizen staff
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Saturday, 10 May 2008 |
Percy Dergez spent about 10 years falling trees before finding a job at Canfor's Rustad Sawmill, where he has worked for upwards of 17 years.
But longevity is not translating into job security because the mill, which at one time operated three shifts, might soon drop to one. Meaning Dergez could be out of a job, a possibility for which he and his wife, who have a six-month-old baby, have been preparing for some time.
"I've got 17 1/2 years there," said Dergez, 43, who was among hundreds of forest workers who attended a United Steelworkers Union information event Saturday at the Civic Centre. "Everybody here is in the same boat. The ones that aren't unemployed yet will be. Everybody's going to have to start looking for a different trade."
Saturday's event was intended to assist displaced, or soon-to-be-displaced, workers to discover opportunities to upgrade current skill levels, or to find a new career path such as carpentry or heavy equipment operating.
"We've also got some people that want to get into their own business. How do you do that? So we've got Community Futures in," said Terry Tate, USW Local 1-424 forest worker co-ordinator.
The free event -- which followed Premier Gordon Campbell's Friday announcement of three new programs to support forest workers in B.C. -- was a joint partnership between the union, the College of New Caledonia, the province and M. Turner & Associates. Upwards of 16 programs and service providers were on hand, including B.C. Training Ventures and the Academy of Learning.
"I found it fairly helpful," said Dergez, who is mindful of the demand for trades workers. "There's a few things here that I didn't know anything about that could help us out in the future. If I lose my job at the sawmill, I'll never go back to the lumber industry again, if I can help it. I'll be looking at a different sector."
Surveys from Saturday's session will help the union identify desired programs and services.
The union also hopes to follow up with attendees, some of whom are dealing with mental health issues, particularly depression and anxiety.
"When you're unemployed, the first thing that gets cut is kids' sports," Tate said. "Now you got the whole family in turmoil, and there are resources in place where you can go to get funding so your kids can continue."
"This is very, very scary for people," said Myrt Turner, president of M. Turner & Associates. "There's two things happening. One is people are in denial. They're thinking that it's just another cycle and these mills are going to come back. And then there's other people who have come to the conclusion that they need to move on, and the stress is incredible. This is why we became involved with the Steelworkers to go into the mills as part of the rapid response team."
M. Turner & Associates offers a free assistance to unemployed individuals. The office -- located at 1360 Fifth Ave. -- has opened Saturdays because of the forest sector crisis.
"For this group of people, they've not been unemployed, most of them, for a very long time, so they don't even know where to begin," Turner said.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 08 October 2008 )
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