After more than a month on the picket line, union workers at the Woodland Pulp mill in Baileyville voted Friday to accept the latest offer from the company, ending a strike that started Oct. 14.
In an announcement, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers highlighted gains in the new tentative contract, including general wage increases of 3-4 percent, with the potential for an 11.6-percent increase for current journeymen maintenance workers, through reclassification.
A tiered vacation system will be removed, employees will be eligible for 20 hours of earned paid sick leave, usable in 1-hour increments.
Workers will also get a contract ratification bonus of $750 each and a guarantee of bargaining unit proportion for the life of the contract.
The strike involved members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 1490, along with 20 millwrights and 38 oilers and steam and water plant operators from Service Employees International Union Local 330-3 and Millwrights Local 1121.
The union members objected to a proposal from Woodland Pulp that would have classified all employees as general workers to be trained in all job duties, eliminating classified positions such as millwright or pipefitter.
In December 2022, steelworkers at Woodland Pulp nearly went on strike seeking more time off and wage increases to meet the rising cost of living. Union members voted to authorize the strike but reached a deal with management before taking action.
