By Kellah Lavoie

Union looking forward to going back to work

Mar 7, 2011 | 11:16 AM

“This means that we will be going back to work.”

It is a big deal according to Anibal Bravo, the president of CEP local 1120 – the union representing Prince Albert’s laid-off pulp and paper mill workers.

The mill closed in 2006, Domtar bought it in 2007 and today it was announced that they are in agreements to sell it to Paper Excellence.

“This is excellent, not only for us, but for the city. We are excited for the city and also for the province. We’ve been saying this all along for the past…four, five, six years that the forest sector should not be dead in Saskatchewan, it should be alive and well, and Paper Excellence sees that and saw that opportunity,” he said.

Bonnie Skene, Domtar spokeswomen, said over the past few months there have been a handful of names dropped about who could be potentially buying the mill.

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She says they are happy with the solution.

“We're pleased to have played a part in finding a solution that re-purposes it and means it will be an ongoing economic (plus) for the region,” said Skene.

“We carefully evaluated the options before us, and frankly, the Paper Excellence proposal was more comprehensive and most able to finalize something,” she said.

Bravo said he does not know all the details yet – he only found out about the proposed agreement late Sunday night – but said it’s good news and a great opportunity.

“The process is going to be that the mill is going to reopen and the mill is going to reopen with local 1120 in it,” he said.

Bravo said the union members will have the individual choice about working at the mill, adding some are currently working out of province.

He will be in talks with Paper Excellence all week, but said it will be another 18 months before the mill is up and running to capacity.

For more: Domtar in agreement to sell P.A. mill

klavoie@panow.com