PORT TOWNSEND — United Steelworkers negotiators and Port Townsend Paper Corp. mill officials will resume talks after employees rejected a contract offer.
“There was an offer that was rejected, and we will be meeting with the company,” said Jim Woodward, subdistrict director of United Steelworks 175, from Auburn on Friday.
Employees voted against the mill’s three-year contract offer March 22, confirmed Woodward, the lead bargaining official for the 230 union members of the 285-290 employees of the mill.
The workers’ present contract expired at the end of March, he said.
Woodward declined to provide details of the rejected contract.
“I don’t want to negotiate this in the paper,” he said.
The weekly Port Townsend Leader said the rejected contract offer would have given workers a 1.5 percent pay raise for each of the three years.
Officials with the mill, which is Jefferson County’s largest private employer, also would provide no details.
“We are not talking about any activity regarding negotiations with USW,” said Chuck Madison, vice president for human resources, in a voice mail returning a call requesting comment.
“Our official position is no comment.”
No date has been set for resumption of negotiations, Woodward said.
“We’re trying to coordinate calendars,” he said.
Union officials in Port Townsend did not return calls requesting comment.
Port Townsend Paper Corp. makes unbleached brown kraft paper for cardboard containers.
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Managing Editor/News Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3531 or leah.leach@peninsuladailynews.com.