Baldacci, Domtar workers discuss future Down East

CALAIS – They introduced themselves to the governor Friday as “former” Domtar employees.

Just three days ago they were “laid-off” workers after the company announced in June that it was taking downtime because of poor market conditions.

The workers thought the plant would be up and running in a few months, which had been the case when the company announced other market-related downtimes.

But not this time.

On Tuesday, the Montreal-based Domtar Corp. announced it was shutting down its paper machine permanently, idling 150 workers at its Baileyville facility.

Worried workers, along with local and state officials, met with Gov. John Baldacci and his senior staff Friday to talk about their future and about economic development issues Down East. The meeting was held at Washington County Community College.

One former Domtar worker wanted to know what the governor planned to do to help them.

Baldacci said job opportunities were available and held out a carrot of hope. “Let’s galvanize, let’s join forces and let’s work together and make sure that tomorrow is a lot clearer and a lot brighter than yesterday,” Baldacci said.

According to the governor’s staff, work will be available in the form of construction jobs on the new $120 million third bridge that eventually will connect Calais with neighbor St. Stephen, New Brunswick. There also are potential construction jobs on the $50 million U.S. Customs House that goes hand in hand with the new bridge. There are another 30 possible permanent jobs when the Customs House is built because there will be a beefed-up presence of federal workers on the U.S.-Canada border.

The governor then introduced Damar Dore of ICS of Maine Inc. who plans to manufacture structural insulated panels for use in commercial and residential buildings at the Baileyville Industrial Park. The company hopes to hire 75 people.

ICS of Maine Inc. applied for permits through the Department of Environmental Protection. The governor plans to expedite the permitting process and use federal and state funds to put 60 people to work as soon as Sept. 1.

“What we are doing is using those monies to partner … with the employer and to partner with our people to make the best that we can of a very sad situation,” John Richardson, commissioner of the Department of Economic Development, said during the meeting. “You have my commitment and certainly the commitment of all the folks from the state here – we will not stop until we have everyone employed and also not stop until we see the region moving in a forward direction.”

And there are more opportunities, the governor said.

U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins have appealed to U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao to review and approve a petition for Trade Adjustment Assistance for the employees who lost their jobs. If the TAA petition is approved, displaced workers will be eligible for employment retraining in another job or career, income support, job search allowance and relocation services for individuals who obtain jobs outside of their normal communities.

The pulp side of the mill, which makes raw material for global paper markets, will continue to operate, Baldacci said. It employs about 300 people.

“It was very clear to me that [the company is] very strong on the pulp mill, the diversification of the pulp products and the fact that they would like to add investment to the pulp mill,” the governor said. Baldacci did not elaborate, nor did he expound upon the possibility that expansion of the pulp mill could mean more job opportunities at the Baileyville mill.

Collins, who did not attend the meeting, said in a telephone interview Friday that she had spoken with Domtar chief executive officer Raymond Royer who confirmed the company would continue to operate the pulp mill. The company, she said, hopes to specialize in environmentally certified pulp and eventually produce both hardwood and softwood pulp.

“While he knew that it was terrible news on the paper side, he did think that the jobs on the pulp side were secure,” Collins said.

She said Royer also suggested there may be a possibility of absorbing a small number of displaced workers into the pulp mill. “There obviously were no guarantees,” she added.