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Grim Holiday for Local Mill Workers Save Email Print
Posted: 6:58 PM Nov 15, 2008
 Last Updated: 3:48 PM Nov 16, 2008
 Email Address: news@wjhg.com
21 comments
Smurfit-Stone
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The national and worldwide economic situation is having another impact on the local economy. NewsChannel 7 has learned the Panama City Smurfit-Stone Paper Mill will be temporarily shutting down in one week.

A spokesman for Smurfit-Stone Paper Mill said the temporary closing is due to, "Market related down time", compared to the equipment maintenance closings that have occurred periodically in the past.

Mike Mullen, head of corporate relations for Smurfit-Stone in St. Louis Missouri, said the mill's 400 plus employees were told of the shut down plans late Friday.

The mill will close Saturday, November 22nd and will re-open after the first of the year. An exact day for re-opening has not yet been determined.

The local mill has been recognized as one of the most efficient plants in the company. Employees have a reputation for leading the local United Way each year with their contributions.

Most of the employees say they are somewhat prepared for the shutdown, and although it’s never a good time, the good news is the mill will be reopening.
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Posted by: Mike Location: F&S on Dec 1, 2008 at 09:34 AM
Well good news, I still see log trucks steady driving into the mill. That is a good sign that paper will be made. As for the right to strike, are you sure about that? Why would the union give that up? I have heard people mention that before but I did not know if it was a fact. Will ask about it at a meeting.
Posted by: still waiting to hear from the mill Location: unemployed but yet to be informed of that fact still on Nov 19, 2008 at 11:12 AM
Contractor, it was part of the union contract agreed upon when the workers came off of strike last time that they gave up their right to strike. As far as everyone laying out to mess them up shutting down, most all of us can't afford to give up even a day or two of pay since this was sprung on everyone with no warning or chance to prepare. If it hadn't been for the local media the majority of us wouldn't have even found out about it when we did since the mill still hasn't bothered contacting us! I guess they figured we seen it on tv or read it in the NewsHerald and that was good enough! Some classy treatment of the employees that give so much for this mill! I feel also for all the contractors, vendors, loggers, log and chip truck drivers, the truckers that deliver the paper from the mill, and everyone else that is being effected in this mess that haven't even been mentioned. It's going to effect a lot of business in the community as well. Thanks for doing this to everyone Bobby Sammons!
Posted by: HELP ME TO SURVIVE Location: UNEMPLOYMENTLINE on Nov 19, 2008 at 10:03 AM
What kind of people do we work for? These are the kind that still hasn't put out a company notice to let the Employees know that they are shutting down. Its the same way in 1998, hear it on the news.Just a little inside, they want you to work 16 hrs.to fill a vacancy on shift,call you on your dayoff, or schedule you on yor dayoff to keep things running smoothly, but if you need a dayoff,sick,family emergency or anything else,sorry have to charge you with an abscence.Maybe its a good thing because if I have to get another job I can do it because I know how to work, CAN'T SAY THAT FOR THE UPPER MANAGEMENT.SOME OF THEM NEEDS TO REMEMBER THE WAY DOWN THAT LADDER IS A LOT FASTER THAN THE WAY UP. HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!
Posted by: Contractor Location: PC on Nov 19, 2008 at 08:46 AM
Why don't you all come together and strike against them. If everyone doesn't go to shutdown the place, how will they do it properly? It is the millworkers that make the place work.
Posted by: Poorman Location: Panama City on Nov 18, 2008 at 08:57 AM
It's sad when the only call I get over the weekend is telling me to vote on the *SH##* Contract...yet they failed to mention the little tid bit about us being laid off the very next day. (though I'm sure most didn't know at the time either) I just find it ironic.
Posted by: gator Location: PC on Nov 17, 2008 at 09:06 PM
ya wife thats what they all preach, teamwork, we are all in it together,,LIP-SERVICE,,, im sure there are some (very few)mgt people that are good, but if its the same over here as it is there, its lip service, and like jeff said, atleast the upper crust will be getting a paycheck, for the great work these people have made for them,, let mgt work shift, lets see if they could even handle it!!
Posted by: Bryant Location: PC on Nov 17, 2008 at 04:53 PM
At least "upper management" did get word of some sort on this. I know I personally still have not heard a peep from the mill to tell me this is all happening nor has any of the other guys in my department on my shift. That shows a lot of concern on the mills part. It was bad enough that my wife was laid off when we had our baby two months ago but now you add this to it all and it is pretty devistating. So much for my child's first Christmas... This wouldn't have been as bad if there had been a little bit of advance warning so people could prepare but obviously that view isn't shared. There was a rumor about it back in October but we had a mill department supertendant shoot it down as we were going to be business as usual. To deceive us like that and then to hang us and our families out to dry right at the holidays is just classless. We employees work ourselves to death to make that mill the most profitable in the entire company and that's how we get repaid for our hard work.
Posted by: Jeff Location: Cotton Warehouse on Nov 17, 2008 at 12:56 PM
Yeah but at least upper management will still get a paycheck. I saw some of them coming out of an eating establishment today. I was coming out of Winn Dixie with a jar of peanut butter and loaf of bread preparing for our turkey-less Thanksgiving. If I was worried about my job I sure wouldn't be eating out. Oh, and I will mention official lunch break was over so they were also late getting back to the mill. Maybe they want to take our lunch breaks so they can have an even longer one? Oh well, I least my peanut butter is extra crunchy.
Posted by: Wife Location: not PC on Nov 17, 2008 at 12:18 PM
hey gator, guess what, at least some of the "local upper management" didn't get word until after they were already home on Friday aft. I think we are all in this together.
Posted by: Mike Location: beater room on Nov 17, 2008 at 10:59 AM
Help Me, just got word that 2 other SSCC mills will be shutting down too. So we are not the only ones. We will probably be shut down until the Jan outage (Jan 19th I think). Maybe they will let us work the outage.
Posted by: HELP ME TO SURVIVE Location: UNEMPOYMENTLINE on Nov 17, 2008 at 10:36 AM
Hey Gator you have it right(RATS)they are,sneak around in the shadows looking,watching,waiting for the right time to run away and hide.If they had any PLANS ON RUNNING THIS MILL,we would have a fare contract in place back in march, but we must give up what is ours, things that we have worked hard for so that the FATCATS can enjoy the pay raises,bonuses,and the CORPORATE GREED way of life.I sleep good at night,WHAT ABOUT THEM?
Posted by: Lyle Location: Chipley, FL on Nov 17, 2008 at 09:34 AM
Bryant, sorry. I did read the story wrong. I am so sorry for the families having to go through this, especially at this time of year.
Posted by: Mike Location: PC, FL on Nov 17, 2008 at 08:55 AM
I have been trying to find out if they are going to let any of us work but no one knows anything. I too found out via the press. No supervisor called me and no one has returned any of my calls. Merry Christmas Bobby & Ches! How bout a steak dinner? Still vote NO and throw that contracy offer in the beater.
Posted by: help me to survive Location: unemploymentline on Nov 17, 2008 at 07:41 AM
I got off Friday at 3pm and heard nothing of the mill shutting down. Hey I did see it on the tv stations, nothing is a 100% until the tv stations report it,thats the way this company cares about its employees,just look at the way this labor contract is beeing handled.I hope the upper management has to run this mill in the so-called economic shutdown,what a circus that would be.Who would be in charge? Who would know what to do? Always remember(BOYS)YE SHALL REAP WHAT YOU SEW!!!HAPPY HOLIDAYS
Posted by: gator Location: PC on Nov 16, 2008 at 10:45 PM
Yall should print the names of the local upper mgt on here to let everyone know what kind of RATS these people are, sure they didnt make the decision, but they should have notified everyone before putting out a press release. let the people of this town thank them, let their neighbors know what kind of people they have living around them
Posted by: Bryant Location: PC on Nov 16, 2008 at 04:39 PM
It's not a one week shutdown, we shutdown in a week. The total lack of any respect for employees has been evident since the labor contract expired back in March but this is just a low blow to show how this company really feels about the employees. As far as I've heard from co-works only one shift even got a phone call. I still haven't heard a word out of the mill nor has the other guys in my department. Some gratitude for the hard work we put in making this the mill of the year for 3 of the last 5 years. It still strikes me that the same day the contract vote gets announced as being on Friday they turn around and decide to close us on Saturday. I hope Mr. Sammons and the resting of the upper management team that has brought this upon all of us forgoes their salaries the duration of the shutdown and rough it out like the rest of us getting this dropped on us without warning right at the holidays! Doubt that will happen though...
Posted by: PoWidowSon Location: panama City, FL on Nov 16, 2008 at 12:17 PM
This will wakeup alot of local people just how criminal the actions or lack of actions of our gov. against those who have contributed to the financial destruction of the average american household. God be with us!
Posted by: gator Location: PC on Nov 16, 2008 at 12:10 PM
Perfect timing, what are these people going to do for Christmas? I work at Arizona Chem, we get some products from Stone, are we next? shows how these large companys think of us as a number not person that has a family. As long as the fat cats in mgt positions get their bonus checks. For all of you workers at Stone, we feel for you, and maybe will see you on the unemployment line?
Posted by: Lyle Location: Chipley on Nov 16, 2008 at 10:12 AM
Not sure of one thing. They said that they were closing for one week, but the report says they will close Nov. 22 and re-open after the first of the year. This sounds longer than a week to me.
Posted by: Steve Location: Panama City on Nov 16, 2008 at 09:07 AM
Would have been nice to get a phone call. No supervisor informed me either. Maybe I will inform Mr. Mullen at 3 AM that I am available to work when it re-opens. Most employees are prepared for shutdown? Hogwash, we didn't even know until it was on the news! How can anyone prepare to be out of work this close to the holidays?! Either way I am still voting NO on the lousy union contract.
Posted by: Bryant Location: Panama City on Nov 15, 2008 at 10:51 PM
Being a mill employee I can say this was the first a lot of us are hearing this! I'm not sure where Mr. Mullen is getting his information from but a huge majority of us mill workers are finding this out through the news reports! Pretty convient that the mill is shutting down the day after the new labor contract vote is scheduled to happen.
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