Nackawic mill workers rally for government help as the shutdown nears

Nackawic, New Brunswick

AV Group NB Inc. is idling its mill west of Fredericton, New Brunswick, on Nov 4, citing market conditions and other challenges.

Unionized workers affected

240 workers

The union says the shutdown affects about 240 unionized workers and 300 to 350 direct jobs, plus thousands of spin-off jobs for truckers, woods workers and contractors.

What the union asks for

• A national forestry strategy
• A joint government task force
• Heating the mill through the winter

Unifor wants a national forestry strategy and a joint government task force, citing US trade pressure and soaring energy costs. The local also asks for the mill to be heated through the winter so it can reopen.

We're turning over every rock to see what the possibilities are for employment and a different use of either the facility, the land, all of the pieces.

— New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt