As per our Code of Conduct, we are committed to continual improvement of our human rights standards and practices. We believe every employee and potential employee, as well as every customer, supplier, contractor or other person in a business relationship with West Fraser must be treated with dignity and respect, and that our employees are also responsible for treating others with dignity and respect. We are committed to working with Indigenous Peoples in a manner that promotes mutual respect and understanding of each other's interests, values and goals.
We do not condone, tolerate or ignore any harassment or discrimination on any ground protected by applicable law, and will not condone, tolerate or ignore violence or threats of violence. Training is provided to our managers so they can maintain a harassment, discrimination and violence-free workplace, and promptly address concerns raised with, or observed, by them.
We review and assess the effectiveness of and our compliance with these commitments. All of our operations adhere to the human rights laws of the United States and Canada, which includes protection of our employees’ rights of free association and collective bargaining.
See our Code of Conduct, section 5. Human Rights, Discrimination and Harassment
We maintain multiple voluntary forest certification standards that require the review of human rights issues within our harvesting and fibre purchasing activities.
In Western Canada our wood sourcing policy for our pulp and MDF operations is further certified and independently audited to PEFC Chain-of-Custody and FSC’s Controlled Wood certifications. These certifications incorporate requirements that no wood is harvested in violation of traditional and civil rights or any of the ILO Core Conventions, as defined in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, 1998.
Our Code of Conduct, signed by our employees, outlines our commitment to human rights (defined by the laws of Canada and the United States).
Employees are educated on policies regarding human rights, harassment and bullying in the workplace. Supervisors are trained to report, investigate and address human rights, harassment or bullying workplace issues.
All of our foresters receive training to meet the requirements of the Company’s forest management and sourcing certifications, which include human rights provisions.
100% of the company's operations are certified to SFI for Fiber Sourcing for procured timber. The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) recognizes the SFI Fiber Sourcing Standard as a tool that meets PEFC requirements for the avoidance of controversial sources in the PEFC Chain of Custody standard. West Fraser is independently audited that our activity meets these standards, and you can find these attestations by product on our website.
Our forestry certifications include requirements that we have avoided controversial sources, including the avoidance of procuring fibre harvested in violation of traditional and civil rights or in violation of any of the ILO Core Conventions, as defined in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, 1998.
SFI Definition of Controversial Sources:
Forest activities which are not in compliance with applicable state, provincial or federal laws, particularly as they may relate to:
- Fiber sourced from illegal logging.
- Fiber sourced from areas without effective social laws.
- Forest activities which are not in compliance with applicable state, provincial or federal laws, particularly as they may relate to:
- conversion sources,
- legally required protection of threatened and endangered species,
- requirements of CITES (The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora)
- legally required management of areas with designated high environmental and cultural values,
- Labor regulations relating to forest workers,
- Indigenous Peoples’ property, tenure and use rights.