The company says the reclassification of the 275 affected employees will continue to begin Tuesday.
The closing of the cellulose plant scheduled for Tuesday in Témiscaming is being postponed.
It is being pushed back two weeks to July 16, according to Le Citoyen, a French newspaper covering Rouyn-Noranda, Abitibi-Ouest and Témiscaming.
“As the production budgets planned for May and June had not been reached, the company (RYAM) has just announced to us the closing has been postponed by two weeks,” said Stéphane Lefebvre, president of Unifor Local 233 in Témiscaming.
The newspaper says it doesn’t change much in the progress planned by the company, except the closing is delayed by two weeks.
The reclassification of the 275 affected employees will continue to begin Tuesday.
“This is a situation that affects the other two production lines,” Lefebvre told Le Citoyen.
“Although we have three production lines, we are all on the same site, under the same union, in the same community. What will happen is that the person who loses their position will have to train the person who will replace them. It’s a very difficult situation. It involves a lot of emotions.”
Elected officials and union leaders held two public town hall meetings this spring to keep workers updated.
In June, Kipawa Mayor Norman Young, Témiscaming Mayor Pierre Gingras and Unifor president Lefebvre told the more than 200 people in attendance during the June 11 meeting there could be potential buyers looking at the complete RYAM site, as well as a local group who have expressed interest.
Lefebvre told The Nugget, RYAM isn’t giving the union a 90-day extension to put a plan together to secure a buyer for the site.
No further details have been released about potential buyers.
The company announced in the spring the closing of the cellulose plant that will eliminate 275 jobs.