Operations News

About 150 members of Unifor Local 324-99 ​voted 88% in favor of a new 4 year collective agreement with West Fraser Timber covering ​its Barwick oriented strand board (OSB) mill near Fort Frances.

In February, workers here voted down a contract offer paving the way for a possible strike. On Monday, March 13, a union representative said a revised contract was presented and the union workers overwhelmingly said yes to the company's terms.

The plant has an annual capacity of approximately 55,000 tons of specialty paper and has 127 employees.

Successful completion of wet section rebuild by Toscotec; machine glazed PM2 produces specialty papers including MG grades, flexible packaging products.

Clearwater Paper is closing a consumer tissue converting and distribution facility in Thomaston, Ga., in a move that will affect 150 employees who will be given opportunities to seek open positions within the company.

Celgar now says it will curtail production from March 18 to 28.

According to officials, these changes will eliminate around 1,300 positions.

Wisconsin-based packaging firm Quad/Graphics Inc. will close its Leominster, Massachusetts Packaging plant by April 29, resulting in approximately 60 layoffs.

The Sonoco Hutchinson Paper Mill has closed, affecting over 100 employees as a result.

The union representing more than 200 workers facing unemployment after Canfor announced its plan to permanently shut down the pulp line at Prince George Pulp Mill still doesn't know how many positions will be lost.

Conifex Timber Inc. will be temporarily curtailing its Mackenzie, British Columbia (BC) sawmill commencing February 21, 2023 for up to two weeks. Unsustainable inventory levels due to rail transportation challenges impacting the interior BC region have necessitated this step.

If more fibre can't be sourced, there could in the future be a short-term curtailment of operations at Kamloops' 10th largest employer.

A person suffered multiple non-life-threatening injuries Thursday morning when falling through a roof covering a machine inside the Sappi Fine Paper mill in Skowhegan, officials said.

The Soda Creek and Armstrong Lumber divisions will resume operations on Monday, March 6.

Local United Steel Worker unions have voted down another contract with Graphic Packaging International and have given a 10-day notice to strike.

Appvion closed the mill in early 2021.

A leaked, undated internal memo from Evergreen Packaging's Canton General Manager John McCarthy says that the mill will idle one of its paper-making machines, citing reduced demand for its particular product.

Officials say a machine overheated, causing sheet rock to catch fire.

Mercer International Inc. announces that the operator of the Cariboo Pulp and Paper mill, in which Mercer has a joint venture interest, has announced a planned curtailment of operation beginning in mid-April for a month and then for another month in the third quarter.

There is no word on what caused the fire or the extent of the damage.

The 22-year-old lineman was pulled into the paper-mill machine by his right arm while working at his station, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.

Nobody was hurt in the fire, which is expected to keep the Evergreen mill, also known as the Tamarack Mill, closed for up to two weeks.

A Skowhegan man working for a contractor died suddenly last week at the Sappi paper mill, according to officials.

Located in Kansas City, this new 150,000 sq. ft. millwork facility is expected to begin production in June 2023.

Nobody was injured but the mill was shut down as a result.