Coastal Canadian forestry workers approve contract

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Hundreds of forestry workers in British Columbia's coastal timber region narrowly approved a new three-year contract to end a 13-week strike, the union said on Sunday.

The members of the United Steelworkers union voted 51 percent in favor of the deal that includes wage hikes of 2 percent in the first year, 3 percent in second year and 2 percent in the final year.

Critics of the contract within the union had complained it did not address a major issue that prompted the strike - worker complaints over companies' ability to institute alternative workshift scheduling.

Union negotiators had urged workers to accept the agreement that comes at a time when the region's forestry industry is struggling with weak demand for lumber and the rising strength of the Canadian dollar.

The vote involved about 4,500 employees at 31 companies represented by industry bargaining agent Forest Industrial Relations (FIR). The biggest member of the group is Western Forest Products (WEF.TO).

The deal will also set the contract terms for about 1,500 workers represented by small companies that are not members of FIR but adopt its agreements for their own labor agreements with the union.

The union is still on strike against International Forest Product (IFPa.TO) and TimberWest Forest Products, which operate in the coastal region but bargain independently. Those strikes also began in July.