Willamette Falls Paper Company announces mass layoff, may close permanently
August 7, 2024
West Linn, Ore (From news reports) -- Employees at the paper mill near Willamette Falls face layoffs with just a few days of notice.
The company that owns the mill, Willamette Falls Paper Company, says it will lay off 158 of its 223 total employees on August, 9th. Affected employees were notified on August 6th.
The layoffs will include 102 production employees, 25 millwrights, 14 administrative employees, 6 electricians, 4 instrumentation employees, 4 truck drivers, and 3 mechanics.
In a WARN notice sent to the state of Oregon, the company says they believe the circumstances of the mill's troubles exempt the company from a 60-day notice requirement. The company also says they hope the layoffs will be temporary.
The company hopes to raise enough money to re-hire affected employees and keep the plant open in the coming weeks. If they can't, the layoffs will be permanent and the mill will close. They will make that decision on August 30th.
They also say additional layoffs are expected after August 9th.
