Employees who have been unable to work since the May 27th Nippon Dynawave disaster, which claimed the lives of 11 workers, got some relieving news yesterday: their pay will continue through January 17th.

Associate of Western Pulp and Paper Workers (AWPPW) spokesperson Josh Estes said the union helped secure a plan to preserve jobs, return employees to work, and provide continued pay certainty.

Estes says that AWPPW President Scott Tift and Washington Area Representative Bill Sauters, working alongside local union leadership, pressed for commitments that protect employees’ livelihoods and retain the skilled workforce essential to the facility’s safe recovery.

Tift stated, “Our position was clear: protect these jobs, keep our members’ incomes intact, and give their families answers they can count on. Bill, our local leaders, and I kept pushing for a commitment that avoids layoffs and carries families through the holidays and into the new year. This plan delivers that stability and keeps our experienced workforce together.”

The union says that the plan focuses on getting employees back to the job site with limited exceptions. Employees whose departments still aren’t operational will be doing other assignments involving safety, recovery and readiness, including safety reviews, job safety analyses, training, housekeeping, and painting.

Estes says that employees returning to the facility does not mean that full production has resumed.

Sauters said, “Keeping experienced people at this mill is critical to a safe recovery. Our members know these systems, understand the work, and have an essential role in identifying hazards and preparing for what comes next.”