Human Rights

Respecting Human Rights In Our Operations

We recognize our responsibility to respect human rights throughout our organization.

West Fraser respects the international principles of human rights including those expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Beyond the human rights and freedoms protected in the constitutions and charter laws of the United States and Canada, West Fraser’s culture, business practices, policies and Code of Conduct clarify the company’s commitments to human rights.

West Fraser recognizes and respects the constitutionally protected rights and treaty rights of Indigenous Peoples and the principles outlined in the United Nations Declaration for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Further, this is part of our Indigenous Peoples' Policy and incorporated into independant, voluntary certifications for timber procurement activities, which reinforce the recognition of workers and labour representatives' rights in a manner that encompasses the intent of the International Labor Organization (ILO) core conventions.

We are committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment and fair working conditions for all employees. Our Company will not tolerate child labor, forced labor, physical punishment, harassment or abuse. We recognize lawful employee rights of free association and collective bargaining. We are committed to ensuring safe, appropriate labour and employment conditions for our workers and contractors, including respect for human rights, non-discriminatory workplaces and fundamental labour standards. Our expectation is our suppliers, contractors and business partners similarly demonstrate respect for human rights in their dealings with our organization.

Our business provides significant economic activity and prosperity to the communities in which we operate, and we engage and consult with our communities to build strong and healthy relationships. We seek to maintain respectful, mutually beneficial relationships with our partners and in communities where we have operations.

We encourage our employees and contractors, as well as community members, to bring human rights concerns to our attention through our site-level feedback mechanisms. We are committed to engaging with our communities to address the respect for human rights where we operate.

Code of Conduct

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

412-1 Operations that have been subject to human rights reviews or impact assessments

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.

412-2 Employee training on human rights policies or procedures

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.

412-3 Significant investment agreements and contracts that include human rights clauses or that underwent human rights screening

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.

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Human Rights

Respecting Human Rights In Our Operations

Code of Conduct