Unifor members ratify four-year pattern agreement at Domtar mills
Unifor members at Domtar's Eastern Canada mills have ratified a conciliator's settlement recommendation, setting a four-year pattern agreement for the region's pulp, paper, sawmill and forestry sectors. The deal, running from May 2026 to April 2030, provides 2.5% annual pay rises totalling 10% plus an attendance bonus of up to 1%, and will now serve as the benchmark for negotiations affecting around 14,000 Unifor members.
Why this mattersThe settlement avoids an immediate labour dispute at Domtar and sets a wage and benefits benchmark for sector-wide bargaining amid tariff-driven mill slowdowns and closures in Canadian forestry.
- Unifor members at three Domtar mills voted to ratify the conciliator's settlement recommendation.
- The four-year agreement runs from May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2030.
- Annual pay increases of 2.5% total 10% over the contract, plus an attendance bonus of up to 1%.
- The agreement is a pattern deal expected to affect about 14,000 Unifor members in Eastern Canada's forestry sector.
- Unifor cited a US-Canada trade war and rising tariffs on forestry products as a backdrop, alongside mill slowdowns and layoffs.
- Unifor will next negotiate in the sawmill sector before moving to other forestry sectors.