Lincoln union OKs bid for Eastern mill

LINCOLN – Union workers from the former Lincoln Pulp and Paper Co. showed overwhelming support for a six-year labor contract proposed by the mill’s prospective buyer.

Members of the PACE No. 1-0396 voted 234-26 to accept the contract proposed by the Connecticut-based First Paper Holding Corp. LLC, said Steve Corriveau, the union’s president. Securing union approval of the labor contract was vital to the company’s purchase of Lincoln’s parent company, Eastern Pulp and Paper Corp., company officials said this weekend.

The contract, which would bring back 300 of the former mill’s 345 union employees under the new company name Lincoln Tissue and Paper Co., promised union workers wages and benefits similar to those received before the mill closed in January.

After the end of voting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Corriveau said he had anticipated the strong turnout and a positive vote.

“This union came forward and did its part,” Corriveau said. “The rest of it is pretty much out of our hands. All we can do now is hope for the best.”

If the bankruptcy court is willing to reconsider its order to abandon Eastern Pulp’s Lincoln and Brewer mills and accepts First Paper’s $23.7 million purchase offer, the company plans to start up one of the mill’s tissue machines first and phase in the rest of the mill’s operations as inventories build up, Corriveau said. The plan calls for the whole mill to be back in operation by the end of June.

However, even if a purchase is approved, Corriveau said workers still would need to apply for jobs and complete the hiring process.

“There’s so many things that can happen as far as stalling [the process],” he said.

Corriveau said he was grateful for the efforts of all the people who helped the potential restart along, from Gov. John Baldacci to community officials.

“Everyone has done super trying to pull this together,” Corriveau said.