PORT ANGELES — McKinley Paper Mill will label the Port Angeles mill closure as permanent, triggering benefits for eligible employees.
Josh Estes, spokesperson for the general Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers (AWPPW), said the decision was specifically made to set off the benefits outlined in a collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
The CBA states that, during a permanent closure, eligible employees will receive severance pay and three months of extended medical coverage.
“We give McKinley full credit for being willing to work with us to do the right thing by the community and the union and the workers,” Estes said.
McKinley has not said how this label of permanent closure might affect its skeleton operations or future plans, Estes said.
Phone calls to McKinley on Tuesday were not returned.
Beyond the CBA benefits, McKinley also agreed to the union’s request that the company cover both the employer and the employee portions of medical coverage premiums during the transition period, Estes said.
“I would call that one of the victories of this campaign,” he said.
The union lobbied for that as a way to support members who have significant medical concerns and might find it difficult to pay their portion of medical coverage, especially if they are on unemployment compensation, Estes said.
McKinley also agreed to extend call-back rights to 18 months for all employees. Previously, contracts had provided anywhere from six months to one year of call-back rights for various employees, Estes said.
An AWPPW press release said that provides “a critical safeguard for workers who hope to return to their jobs if the mill reopens in the future.”
The company also agreed to provide a 30-day notice for any changes made to the skeleton crew maintaining the site.
“We wanted to make sure the folks who were there wouldn’t be let go with one day’s notice,” Estes said.
While these union requests were granted by McKinley, other requests were denied, Estes said.
“At the end of the day, we’re pretty happy with where we ended up,” he said.
Port Angeles City Manager Nathan West said he was happy that the terminology change is supporting mill employees. But he said the relabelling isn’t likely to change how the city responds to the situation.
West said the city’s primary focus is to support the mill workers, those indirectly affected by the closure and other employees who are impacted by layoffs and closures at local businesses.
A secondary priority is to ensure the facility is taken care of and not abandoned, West said.
Estes said he thinks McKinley was partially motivated to take these steps as a result of the public campaign and the union’s public ask, which helped McKinley “recognize the importance of doing right by the members and doing right by the community.”
“Whether it was the union’s pressure or a guilty conscience, they deserve full credit for being willing to come to the table and make those changes,” Estes said. “That’s a win-win for the community.”
While the company provided clarity regarding its closure status, Estes said it has not explained what “market conditions” led to its closure or might lead to a restart. However, he said the union’s primary concern has been answered.
“By considering this a [permanent] closure, our request for specificity in market conditions shifted to a secondary ask,” Estes said.
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Reporter Emma Maple can be reached by email at emma.maple@peninsuladailynews.com.
