GRAND RAPIDS — The strike that lasted nearly a month and led to the temporary shutdown of the UPM Blandin paper mill is over.
Members of the Teamsters Union Local No. 346 met Friday, Aug. 11, at the Reif Center in Grand Rapids to vote on a tentative agreement reached the day before with company leadership. Local Union President Jeff Oveson reported the striking employees narrowly ratified the agreement and will be headed back to work soon.
The previous contract expired June 30. Teamsters Local No. 346 represents 166 employees at UPM Blandin Paper.
"Together we reached an agreement on the issues that are important to our employees and helps position our mill for the future."Scott Juidici, UPM Blandin general manager
In a Friday afternoon news release, UPM Blandin reported with the ratification of the three-year contract, the return-to-work process will begin.
The contract provides employees with industry competitive pay and benefits, the company stated. The three-year agreement includes year-over-year wage increases and year-over-year increases to shift differential. It also provides benefit enhancements in areas including paid time off and health savings account contributions.
"Together we reached an agreement on the issues that are important to our employees and helps position our mill for the future," stated UPM Blandin General Manager Scott Juidici, in the release. "We value our employees and look forward to their return to work. We’re now focused on restarting operations in a safe and efficient manner.”
No timeline for the mill’s reopening was provided Friday.
Oveson said the strike’s end is a good thing, although the union did not achieve all of its goals. Still, the introduction of a federal mediator to the process led to more productive conversations, according to Oveson.
“We got some of them (our demands). We didn’t get all of them, but we got enough to narrowly accept an offer from the employer and go back to work,” Oveson said. “ … A strike is never good for anyone. No one wins. But we made some good advancements that we’re happy with.”
It isn’t yet clear how many 166 employees who originally walked off the job in mid-July will return to the paper mill. Oveson confirmed some union members found other employment during the strike period. Of those, some continued their strike duties while others appear to have moved on completely.
As the picket signs are packed away and mill workers retreat from their roadside posts in the heart of Grand Rapids, Oveson reiterated the union’s appreciation for the support it received from Grand Rapids area residents.
“It was really heartwarming for the members, especially during the Tall Timber Days parade. I just can't say thank you enough to all the people and some of the businesses here as well,” he said.
