Paper Excellence says paper operations at its Crofton mill will remain shuttered until at least the end of February, which is bad news for about 70 unionized workers who had hoped to be back on the job Dec. 1.
The latest extension means the curtailment will now stretch to at least eight months.
The company cited continued challenging conditions in international paper markets that have not recovered as anticipated.
“Paper Excellence Canada continues to work with our employees to mitigate the impact of the ongoing paper production curtailment,” the company said a statement.
The affected workers are part of Unifor Local 1132. A request for comment from the union was not immediately returned.
Pulp operations at the Crofton Mill, which employ about 400 union and salaried staff, were restarted in October after a three-month curtailment, and are expected to continue during the extended paper curtailment.
Paper Excellence said it will continue to supply customers with products typically made at Crofton from its other mills, including Port Alberni.
Its customers for printing and specialty paper include retailers, publishers and commercial printers in North America, Latin America, Asia and Europe.
