After two months of shutdown, Edwards and Associates employees are back to work, after an agreement between their union and Taan Forest.A short-term agreement was made between the union representing Edwards’ employees, enabling operations on Taan’s Tree Farm Licence.With this three-month agreement, Taan Forest issued a press release stating they paid for the termination of Edwards’ long-term replaceable contract, known as Bill 13.The termination of the Bill gives Taan Forest the responsibility to pay Edwards employees outstanding wages and benefit plans.The operations at the Tree Farm Licence were shut down late last year because of sub-contractor Edwards financial difficulties. With the termination of Edwards and Associates’ Bill 13, Taan Forest hopes for a more stable and flexible operating environment and opportunities in the future. The three-month plan includes getting as many Edwards employees back to work as soon as possible. Various local contractors are partnering with Taan Forest to make this happen. “Unfortunately the Edwards bankruptcy has and will cause some instability,” said Bob Brash the Chief Operations of Haico. “However, it will also provide an opportunity to start the process and the steps toward realizing some of the broader and more comprehensive employment solutions many have advocated on Haida Gwaii.”
