SKOWHEGAN, Maine - A three-year contract adopted by the Machinists Union has averted the possibility of a strike at the Sappi paper mill in Skowhegan.Local 2740 President Wes Perry says the ratification of the contract feels like "a new day on the shop floor."
The contract was ratified late last week after an earlier contract offer had been unanimously rejected. The union had also voted to authorize a strike, but it says it went back to the table and reached agreement with Sappi. It says the contract includes a wage increase and improvements to insurance. Sappi's Somerset Mill has about 725 employees. Representatives for Sappi did not return calls seeking comment.