truck driver

production worker

laborer

forklift operator

millwright

Western Forest Products

This company is using the new tariff and duty laws to sell Canadian lumber on the U.S. market.

The manufacturing facility I worked at was comparable to working against one's will.  There was zero safety culture, us hourly employees had to watch out for one another.  The big boss even pointed his finger at the pull chain lead when a guy got injured due to faulty equipment.  I helped arrange the pull chain and the roll offs, it was nobody's fault but that plant manager's.  I finally left that facility, was told to get a new stacker up and running.  The cheapest contractor around did the remodel on this stacker and was notorious for not even finishing welds on the other equipment.  The IT guy from Canada, even the USNR specialist couldn't figure it out, yet every few minutes the sticks would hang up.  I was told by multiple supervisors to continue climbing on chain runs with no fall protection.  Even after suggesting how simple it would be to run a cable over head to tie off to, my direct supervisor just grunted and said, "We gotta get this wood in the kilns."  Horrible atmosphere, from the top down with this company.  They all have a "do this or leave" mentality.  After watching a good friend get his lip split open, and being told numerous times to work in a very unsafe condition, I left.  Oh yeah, I tried to start a safety committee as the elected "employee chairperson."  My supervisor refused to let me do the paperwork and computer stuff.  All of this at entry level wages. Its a very unsafe environment, I highly suggest working elsewhere.  

This company is all about marginalized people, safety and how to not communicate. reading The companies monthly news letter only lets you know about what "we're" doing for the first nations of Canada, the hobbies of employs that are on salary and how many people they've let go. there is a high turnover rate for HR and upper site management leading to a massive disconnect between hourly workers and salary workers. Lower site management likes to hide from there responsibilities both figuratively and literally leading to any issue large or small at the work place to become larger than it should become even if workers go out of there way to let them know of any problems that may have, is or will occur. lower management also have substantial bias towards their friends, letting people leave there position 20-30 minutes at a time several times a day to use the restroom or to talk to other workers about non work related things, and also letting people call in and take off as much time as they want forcing others to  pick up the slack. Safety is a big worry for the company leading to many safety meetings and training that isn't relevant to most employs then making production workers come in for overtime on the weekend to make up for lost production. lower management like to hire folks that are older(60+), physically lacking, and or inexperienced in the lumber industry leading to unnecessary friction among workers and injuries.        

1) This company provides false advertising on their company website to get you to apply (probably because they’re getting gov money for Covid relief to stay open and not using the gov grant for what it’s for and it’s meant to be paying a fair wage to employees) 
2) THEN THEY OFFER YOU LESS THAN WHAT THE JOB POSTING IS LISTED AS (honestly to begin with- the wages posted are already below fair job market value and with years of experience their reasoning to offer a lower wage is you haven’t worked in a lumber company)
3) Western Forest Products management will tell you what you want to hear and they do not care about the production manual labors WHOM THEY SEEM TO FORGET keeps companies like them afloat
4) The work is hard and you’re underpaid 
5) The job postings on the premises is listed as less than what it says to the public on their website 
6) if you’re a nice person that works not in an office position, Western Forest Products will take advantage of you and assign you production job duties that are outside of your original hire duties because you’re an at will employee 
7) If you were hired on as an equipment operator- They don’t give you time or schedule you time to get use to the way the machine moves- they throw you somewhere else and tell you that they want you to cross train


No, the answer is no, they are not the smartest,  it they like to think so.. they have no concept of a maintenance plan, or how to organize properly,  no parts,  no materials, inadequate shop tools and supplies. I worked for western for nearly 4 long long years. Went through a strike where ceos gave them selves a 50%+ raise then fought us on pensions. Strike for 8 months for an industry standard contract.

To top it off they cream the logs for only the best cuts, and chip the rest, while other mills I worked at would manufacture to all grades. They are a disgrace to forestry and deserve to have all their licenses revoked.

They might be the best paying non post secondary employment in the area,  but it’s worth every penny to stay away. I predict another long strike next contract in 2023 as the company will not address inflation and how it’s affecting their workers.

Mentally, I feel better, smarter, and stronger since I left.

PS shoutout to the maintenance crew at Duke Point, you guys are cool, not the supervisors though 

WFP cares about every employee's safety and moral above all else. Today we had taco Tuesday at Arlington because we had 30 days with no safety incident. If people stick it out for 6 months to a year, there are hiring bonuses available plus opportunities to train and advance to higher paid jobs like forklift drivers, lumber graders, and for several trade jobs like electrician or sawfilier. My supervisor and my coworkers are very supportive of my work and contributions and I see opportunities everywhere to help build a better company for our team everyday.

WFP CVD is a safety focused organization that strives to be a preferred employer in Vancouver, WA. The team takes great pride in providing a quality product to their customers. Honest, fair work with growth opportunities learning various skills in the manufacturing of lumber. Teamwork and collaboration are at the forefront with attention on recognition for engagement and a job well done.

The company is committed to providing sustainable building products that are used in our communities, schools and neighborhoods. I’m personally proud to be a part of the team at CVD.

Since starting at Western Forest Products I have felt nothing but welcomed and supported. They have provided me with great guidance to develop and grow in my roll. I always feel listened to and that my opinions have merit.

As an organization they have worked hard to cultivate a great team of supervisors and employees to facilitate a culture of communication, safety, and growth. There are ample opportunities for everyone who comes to work here if they are willing to work hard. 


Western forest product truly is an employer of choice, they stand up to they're word and follow through.
Everything I have seen shows that they honestly want the employees to advance and better themselves, and care about well being.
Moving up through the positions is achievable and  highly supported by the leader's.
I also see everyone treated equal and fair!

Management are the type to tell ya what you want to hear ,no room for advancement, very small level of respect, supervisor is a bully ,people have left on multiple occasions due to his poor human relations,and yet he is still employed ,the have a small allowance for this behavior yet only for the non-salary workers , pay is ok but not worth the amount harrassment and micromanaging you have to deal with on a daily basis ,,the place is a great place to learn how policies can be scurted by upper management, not a safe place to work

Western takes safety seriously and provides extensive ongoing training to sawmill employees to ensure they have the tools they need to succeed. COVID protocols were taken very seriously and continuously updated according to CDC and local guidelines. Western has provided me with ample growth and development opportunities. I feel supported and empowered to make decisions. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Truck driver 5 salaries reported	$30.31 per hour
Production worker 5 salaries reported	$21.36 per hour
Laborer 3 salaries reported	$21.71 per hour
Forklift operator 7 salaries reported	$23.67 per hour
Millwright 1 salary reported	$36.82 per hour

Working at Western Forest Products: Company Overview and Reviews

Western Forest Products

Western Forest Products Ratings

Popular jobs at Western Forest Products

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected