Lockout Over

They are going back to work.

A voting result of 63% in favour of a deal with the management of Greenwood Forest Products in Penticton has ended a month long forced strike.

Union president Ben Landis says he is surprised by the results of the vote.

“I was expecting the result to be closer in regards to those for and those against. When the results were announced, there was kinda a quite hush amongst the crew, but I guess at the end of the day the majority of the members have spoken and they are ready to go back to work,” says Landis.

He says they relied on the mediator to help bring the company's offer to a more reasonable number.

“At this point in time I'd have to say that we had to rely on the mediator in regards to his ability to get the company to move almost two dollars from where they were a week ago. Not only that, but a whole bunch of the contentious language, which was about worker's rights, was also removed. And that is why the negotiating committee recommended it because at that time we didn't think we could do any better,” says Landis.

He says there was a genuine concern that if the employer was out of business much longer that there might not be a job to go back to.

GWFP has been facing financial problems and asked workers to take cuts to pay and benefits.

Union members will be back at work by Monday.