Union wants to be involved in future at former mill site

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, July 1, 2026

PORT ANGELES — The union representing employees at the former McKinley mill was not notified of the sale of the property.

Candelaria Industries LLC, an ownership group led by Rob Janicki, announced last month they will purchase the property located at 1902 Marine Drive, subject to government approval.

The Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers, which represents the former McKinley employees who are still maintaining the site, has not received any communication from Candelaria or from the current owners of the site, spokesperson Josh Estes said.

“I think it’s disappointing because we want to be seen as a partner, and whatever opportunities that site has for the future, we want there to be a vested interest from whoever takes over that site,” Estes said.

The union has reached out to McKinley Paper Company to seek additional information but has not heard back yet, Estes said.

“The seller, especially one who has an ongoing collective bargaining agreement with successor language in it, usually contacts the union about a sale,” Estes said. “It’s not customary for that type of information to be disseminated to the public before we’re made aware of it.”

Since the mill’s curtailment and workforce reductions, the union has worked to advocate for affected workers, preserve jobs where possible and support the community through an ongoing period of uncertainty and transition, according to a news release.

There’s a crew of about a dozen workers maintaining the McKinley site, Estes said.

“I think it’s important for any potential buyer to have engagement with the union that a transaction is pending, rather than being surprised by it in the paper,” he said. “It’s a courtesy, especially for those that are working at the site. Their livelihoods have entered an uncertainty period.”

Estes and the union are hoping Candelaria and/or the McKinley Paper Company reach out to provide more information soon.

“We’re hopeful there’s an opportunity with a new buyer to be able to salvage or utilize some of that site,” Estes said. “Whatever the site entails, we want to be at the table so the buyer understands we’re committed to pursuing jobs for our members in Port Angeles. We’ve been operating in that community for generations, and we want to continue to support the community of Port Angeles and the Peninsula, and that means we need to be at the table.”

Estes can be reached at 425-622-8256.

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Reporter Emily Hanson can be reached at emily.hanson@peninsuladailynews.com.