Talks shift to G-P’s future; severance undecided

OLD TOWN – Negotiations on severance packages for displaced millworkers from Georgia-Pacific Corp.’s Old Town mill continued Tuesday but still were unresolved after another daylong discussion between management and union officials.

During the meeting between G-P and PACE Local 80 officials, talk shifted to future strategy and the possibility of expanding operations in some way.

“These discussions are very preliminary. They have made no decisions. It does involve the overall operations,” said G-P senior communications manager Robert Burns, who downplayed a media report that a tissue machine and converting line might restart.

“There are no definitive details at this time. I don’t want to be quoted that we’re starting up one of those machines,” he said. “Until I get some details, I don’t want to create any scenarios.”

Debbi Taylor, manager of human resources for the Old Town mill, who sat in on the meetings, said the media report was exaggerated.

Taylor added that the negotiations on the severance packages “are continuing but no details are available at this time.”

The mill’s pulp operations and pulp dryer have continued to run since the April 4 curtailment of the tissue production portion of the mill which put 300 people out of work. Company officials said they are continuing to discuss long-term viability of the pulp operations in an effort to retain more than 200 jobs at the plant.

“We said we were going to have discussions about the pulping operations but [ended up discussing] the whole operation regarding the future of the Old Town mill,” said Burns. “Our employees who are in those meetings are discussing a strategy about the overall mill. A process is under way.”

Meanwhile, a group of community members and agency representatives gathered at the Old Town-Orono YMCA to form the Old Town Transitional Team to help G-P’s 300 laid-off millworkers and others affected by the cutbacks.

“We met with 24 representatives from different community agencies and political representatives and we put together a team and came up with eight areas we want to work on,” said Gary Baldwin, executive director of the YMCA, who is chairing the transitional team.

State Rep. Anita Haskell of District 137, which encompasses part of Old Town, and personnel from the offices of Rep. Mike Michaud, Sen. Olympia Snowe and Sen. Susan Collins were in attendance. Representatives from all of Old Town’s local churches, the University of Maine and the River Coalition, and Old Town City Manager John Lord and tri-county Rapid Response coordinator Dave Conroe all participated.

The transitional team’s goal is to help anyone who is having difficulties because of G-P’s downsizing.

“This is not just only for the G-P workers. This is for anybody affected in Old Town,” said Baldwin. “A lot of companies have had to cut back workers. We want to help everybody.”

The task force formed a subcommittee to handle finances that will meet Thursday to establish guidelines for the distribution of funds.

“The money is going to run through the River Coalition,” said Baldwin. “They’re going to use a separate account to run the money through for us.”

The eight basic committees the transitional team has formed include food-energy assistance, media communications, education and training, counseling, recreation, financial advice, support services and funds distribution.

Baldwin said one concern that has arisen is where people interested in helping out can donate funds.

“People have asked where can they donate money,” said Baldwin. “We feel once we receive the dollars, we would best know where those dollars should go.”

At 2 p.m. April 29 at the YMCA youth gym, a community meeting will be held for everyone affected by the cutbacks and for people with ideas. The meeting will inform former G-P employees and others affected what kind of services will be available.

“The people who come will have an opportunity to say yea or nay to different ideas,” said Baldwin. “Then we will ask people to chair those committees.”

Anyone who wants to donate money to help with displaced workers can contact the River Coalition at 827-8744 or stop by their office inside the YMCA.