The Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers (AWPPW), Portland, Ore., USA, has given Ponderay Newsprint, Usk, Washington, USA, the 10 days written notice of termination of the Labor Agreement. The Labor Agreement terminated in its entirety on July 24, 2017.

According to AWPPW, the company has continued to delay in meeting with the union and has delayed in providing information that is relevant to the collective bargaining process. The union believes that terminating the current labor agreement is an essential step in the direction of the union's goal of achieving a new labor agreement. Termination of the Labor Agreement will provide the union the opportunity to engage in an unfair labor practice strike to encourage the employer to bargain to an agreement in good faith, AWPPW points out.

Ponderay Newsprint Co., owned by Resolute Forest Products, Montreal, Que., Canada, operates a thermo-mechanical pulp (TMP) mill that manufactures newspaper print rolls and pulp. Resolute Forest Products is a global producer of newsprint by capacity. The Usk mill owners include MediaNews, McClatchy News, and Gannett.

The AWPPW is affiliated with the United Brotherhood of the Carpenters & Joiners of America (UBC).

For more information contact Greg Pallesen at AWPPW, 503-228-7486.