Tuesday, March 03, 2009

How long can Evergreen Pulp workers hang in there?

The TS story by John Driscoll says the Pulp mill won't start until at least August! This is not good news. I have heard that quite a few workers have already left the area, or have found local work and are not planning on coming back. And that is besides the workers in the re-training programs. Just doing a head count in Maintenance, I see less than 25% returning. I will guess that we will down nearly 40% in Operations. This will be a long, ugly start-up in August.

And I do not know of anytime in my life that all the local sawmills have taken this many lay-offs. This is affecting truck drivers and other vendors locally. We can't afford many more hits in Humboldt County.

11 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:57 PM

    A long ugly start up seems better than no start up at all.

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  2. "United We Stand, Divided We Beg"

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  3. Anonymous8:11 PM

    There will be no start up......open your eyes.

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  4. Anonymous9:43 PM

    All hail baykeepers/HCDCC

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  5. Anonymous11:53 PM

    I have to agree with 8:11... I realize this is emotional for you...

    But,

    Where is your guarantee?

    What happens to equipment in Humboldt County that sits idle for even a couple months?

    How is such a mill going to compete post-recession when it couldn't compete beforehand?

    Why should the former employees wait around for someone somewhere somehow to bring this thing back?

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  6. Anonymous4:03 AM

    I think it is about time for the Freshwater Pulp people to get busy and start doing something to retain at least some of the former employees

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  7. Anonymous8:26 AM

    You could always ask for higher
    wages and more benefits...that
    should make it start up real
    fast..Ask the HCDCC to help
    the Union when your bargin..

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  8. Anonymous10:13 AM

    I've said it before and I will say it again. Anon, if you are gonna be so negative, man up and use a name. Even Osama Bin Laden grew a set and took some responsbilty.

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  9. Anonymous11:04 AM

    Heck, the place makes $400 million a year according to the union. Everyone should get a raise. Given the labor movements strong ties to the enviromentalists I am sure they will be right there to ensure that the permit requirements are stringent and adhered to.

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  10. Anonymous11:14 AM

    The mill "makes" around $200,000 in sales a year. It is what they "spend" that comes into question. Nobody knows that equation. Except Freshwater Pulp.

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  11. Anonymous12:02 PM

    Who is Freshwater Pulp?

    ReplyDelete