RUMFORD — By the end of the week, all hourly employees who were laid off during 2009 who want to return to their jobs will be back to work at NewPage Corp. And by mid-February, the No. 10 paper machine will be up and running.
Janet Hall, spokeswoman for the mill, declined to reveal the number of employees who are affected.
In January, the mill announced that about 100 hourly employees would lose their jobs due to poor market conditions. That number was never reached, however.
Matt Bean, president of Local 900, estimated that about 100 men and women would be back on the job by Friday.
Most of the returning employees will work on the No. 10 paper machine, which has been down since September, or in supporting positions for the machine. These include such jobs as work in the finishing room and the rewinder.
With the No. 10 machine coming back online 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the local mill’s three paper machines will be operating full time.
Hall declined to speculate on whether the moves are an indication of an improving economy.
“This is more of NewPage balancing production with the needs of customers,” she said.
The mill announced the start-up of long log and ground wood a couple of months ago. The two departments, which feed the No. 15 machine, have run intermittently since then, contingent upon the type of paper being manufactured.
Bean said morale is starting to improve at the mill after more than a year of uncertainty.
“There are some happy folks,” he said.
Hall declined to speculate on the future of the local mill or to provide information on any of the other mills owned by NewPage.
“This is certainly good news for Rumford. We’re hoping for a strong 2010,” Hall said.
Rumford Town Manager Carlo Puiia was also upbeat about the latest news coming from the mill.
“This gives the community some hope that our major employer has been given the chance to bring back employees. The management is making some good moves,” he said.
With the workers being called back, the local mill now employees between 850 and 900 people.
NewPage also owns paper mills in Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Nova Scotia.
The fourth-quarter of 2009 financial statement will be announced on Feb. 18.
NewPage Corp.’s mill in Rumford is calling back workers this week.
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