Dec 15, 2008. /Lesprom.com/. TimberWest Forest Corp. said that it has endorsed a new agreement with United Steelworkers Union (USW), thereby, ending the union strike that has been in effect since the summer of prior year. TimberWest said that the final agreement with USW Local 1-80 and Local 1-363 has resolved all the outstanding grievances, including the defamation lawsuit between the company and the union. According to the final agreement, the new contractor model allows the company to sub-divide operations to medium sized unionized contractors working on the company's land base. The subdivided contracts will be for five-year term. Additionally, the agreement states that the TimberWest would pay signing bonus for qualified contract employees and for qualified engineers and foresters. The agreement also acknowledges TimberWest as a timberland management company, over operating company. The Western-Canadian company said that it believes the agreement would provide a more manageable workable and viable system for contractors that will continue to protect the rights of the union and create space for more operators to enter the market place. Commenting on the agreement, CEO of TimberWest, Paul McElligott, said that the improved contractor model allows for more 'medium sized' long-term contractors and will provide TimberWest a more stable footing with its major global competitors in the present difficult time in the industry.