One of Maine's last remaining large paper mills will stop operating for a month as the global market for pulp has softened.
Operations at Woodland Pulp and St. Croix Chipping mills in Baileyville will wind down Nov. 20. Woodland Pulp spokesperson Scott Beal said about 150 workers will be temporarily laid off as a result.
"We've had some market-related downtime sporadically over the years," Beal said in an interview Friday. "It's a cyclical business, and sometimes this is the best decision to make when you're in a trough such as we are right now with respect to the global pulp market."
The mill is scheduled to reopen Dec. 17.
"Unfortunately it also coincides with the holidays, right before Christmas, during Thanksgiving. It's leaving a bad taste in the members' mouths," said Shawn Howland, president of United Steelworkers Local 27, which represents some mill workers.
Beal said laid off workers will keep their benefits during the downtime, and they can apply for unemployment. Howland said a rapid response team from the state of Maine will be deployed to the mill to help mill workers apply for unemployment.
Howland said the mill is transitioning from producing hardwood to softwood pulp, and he's hopeful the move will eventually allow the plant to become more profitable.
"I kind of knew that something like this was coming, because the price of pulp is very low," he said.
"If we can make a profit with softwood, that's the future. [Management] told us that months ago. But that kind of transition takes time," Howland added.
St. Croix Tissue will continue to operate during the month-long pause.
The Maine Monitor was the first to report the temporary shutdown at the mill.
