USW unions at Resolute Forest Products' LWC paper mill in Catawba, South Carolina, agree to 34 voluntary early retirements in order to avert immediate forced layoffs; the shutdown of the mill's PM No. 1 since June 30 continues

Kendall Sinclair

LOS ANGELES , October 19, 2012 (Industry Intelligence Inc.) –

In a move to avert further layoffs at Resolute Forest Products Inc.’s lightweight coated (LWC) paper mill in Catawba, South Carolina, two unions have agreed to 34 voluntary early retirements, reported The Herald on Oct. 18.

The two United Steelworkers union locals at the mill accepted early retirements for 14 production and 20 maintenance workers, said Mike Geofrey, president of the production union, noting that there were workers waiting to apply for the “early out” package.

The mill’s PM No. 1 was shut down as of June 30 for an “indeterminable” period of time due to weak market conditions, and it remains idle., The Herald reported.

Of the workers who were laid off with the closure of PM No. 1, 55 to 60 of them have not been recalled to work, said Godfrey. An additional 33 workers were laid off in July, leaving the mill with a workforce of about 630.

Officials from Montreal-based Resolute recently visited the Catawba mill to look at restructuring and eliminating jobs, said union officials. The company could not be reached for comment, reported The Herald.

The primary source of this article is The Herald, Rock Hill, South Carolina, on Oct. 18, 2012.
 

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