V O L . X X V I N O . V
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M A N U F A C T U R I N G F O C U S
Maine mill
workers flex
contract muscles
B y r e N e e c O r D e S
P
aper mill workers in Maine
are winning better pay and
benefits as employers struggle
to attract and keep workers in today's
low-jobless climate, the latest contract
outcome at the Huhtamaki mill in
Waterville shows.
"We're definitely seeing mill work-
ers get much better contracts than in
the past," Andy O'Brien, a spokesper-
son for the Maine AFL-CIO, told
Mainebiz.
"I think the companies understand
that in this economy, they have to
provide competitive wages and ben-
efits in order to retain good, skilled
workers."
Last month, members of United
Steelworkers Local 449 in Waterville
overwhelmingly approved a new
five-year contract that raises wages,
improves benefits and increases the
number of union jobs at the mill
owned by Huhtamaki, Oy, a global
food packaging specialist based in
Espoo, Finland.
e contract includes annual wage
increases every year for the next five
years, starting with a 2.85% increase
in the first year and an additional 50%
wage increase in the first year for 140
workers in the smooth finish depart-
ment; six weeks of paid vacation for 75
mill workers with 35 years of service;
improvements to disability, dental and
life insurance while leaving health
