# Out of a job



## hossthehermit (Oct 1, 2014)

Boss just called, mill where I've worked for almost 43 years is closing Dec. 1 .................


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## firefighterjake (Oct 1, 2014)

Saw that in the Bangor Daily News and on WABI TV . . . this stinks . . . for a lot of folks.


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## Z33 (Oct 1, 2014)

hossthehermit said:


> Boss just called, mill where I've worked for almost 43 years is closing Dec. 1 .................



I hate to hear that. Anyone know why ? Any talk of a severance package to help out until you can get back on your feet ? 

Thought and prayers sent your way.


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## tigger (Oct 1, 2014)

Unfortunately as a financial advisor, I get this phone call often. It's always a tough one. You want to go out on your terms not someone else's.


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## fossil (Oct 1, 2014)




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## begreen (Oct 1, 2014)

That sux. But it might be an opportunity. How well are you set up for retirement?


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## hossthehermit (Oct 2, 2014)

Thanks, guys. I'll get by, more worried about a lot of the younger guys, that are in their 40's and early 50's .............


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## greythorn3 (Oct 2, 2014)

the economy is bad enough to effect maine its probably comming up to alaska too!

good luck buddy! keep your chin up.


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## Warm_in_NH (Oct 2, 2014)

That's too bad, best of luck to you.
Up side, you'll have more time to enjoy your fire....

What kind of mill? Lumber down here is cranking. Everyone is competing for every truckload.


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## NE WOOD BURNER (Oct 2, 2014)

Sorry about the closing!
Could you convert the Mill to a "Pellet Mill" ? Could be a real money maker.


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## peakbagger (Oct 2, 2014)

My sympathies. The local pulp mill near me did the same thing 8 years ago. I only had 17 years but many had 40 years and was the only job they have ever had right out of high school. A lot of folks that aren't from a mill town don't realize how much impact it is on the community. Its more than job, its part of your identity. Of course all the politicians will come rushing down for a photo op and make promises but dont be conned.

For the prior poster it was Verso (formerly IP) Bucksport pulp and paper mill. Unfortunately the demand for the type of paper they make just isn't there so whatever mills are remaining are all scrambling to drop their prices to get orders for what remains of the market. That shuts down the high cost producers and unfortunately Maine (and New England in general) has high labor and energy costs.

Several years out, the folks from the Berlin shutdown who recovered the best were the ones that retrained into a different career and moved if they needed to. There usually are retraining options out there but many don't get in line to get them as they think some "white knight" will come save the mill. Based on the recent "white knights" attempts at Millinocket and Old Town, they usually are just some vultures scraping off a few more bucks before they finally scrap the place. They talk a good game but the employees who figured out a new career saved themselves a few years of pain as the new business plans fell apart. It was definitely a tough transition for the guys who did retraining as their buddies were content to just sit around and burn up whatever government benefits they could or figure out a way to get on disability. A lot of the folks who just stayed around collecting benefits until they ran out are still around bitter about the past and spending their time now drinking away the present. I run into the guys who retrained or moved and most are happy they made the move.


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## DBNH22 (Oct 2, 2014)

Sorry to hear that hoss.

My mother in law got laid off yesterday too and I've heard a few anecdotal stories through others of people losing their jobs.  There's also been lots of chatter about the stock market and economy going in the tank again pretty soon.  No surprise there.  We're nothing but pawns in a game for a very select few.

Hope everything works out for you!


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## hockeypuck (Oct 2, 2014)

Is that Lincoln?


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## greythorn3 (Oct 7, 2014)

well i will always be holding onto what i aint got. seems to be the way of life. best luck to you all.


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## webbie (Oct 7, 2014)

I saw that article - and thought of our Mainiacs! Hopefully the IRA and other stuff is still kicking...at, at our advanced ages, that old SS and Medicare is right around the corner....

May I ask...how much longer than 43 years did you want to work? I've been working for 42 and I'm about done....


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## wildwildwest (Oct 7, 2014)

Hang in there


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## pen (Oct 7, 2014)

An individual would seldom stay at a job for this many years if it were simply a job, there must have been some passion here.  I'm very sorry to hear.


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## hossthehermit (Oct 8, 2014)

webbie said:


> I saw that article - and thought of our Mainiacs! Hopefully the IRA and other stuff is still kicking...at, at our advanced ages, that old SS and Medicare is right around the corner....
> 
> May I ask...how much longer than 43 years did you want to work? I've been working for 42 and I'm about done....



Personally, I've already been there about 42 years longer than I wanted to ...............


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## hossthehermit (Oct 8, 2014)

pen said:


> An individual would seldom stay at a job for this many years if it were simply a job, there must have been some passion here.  I'm very sorry to hear.



No. pen, but it was always easier to stay than to move on .............  not like my ex-wives, it was easier to  move on and find a new one than stay with them .............


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## hossthehermit (Oct 8, 2014)

greythorn3 said:


> well i will always be holding onto what i aint got. seems to be the way of life. best luck to you all.



I was born with nuthin', and I still got damn near all of it ............


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## Lake Girl (Oct 18, 2014)

Hoss, sorry to hear about the job loss.  Hope you've got a decent pension plan and severance pay.  Our mill closed here last year - nephew went on to retrain as a welder and is staying pretty busy.   Older employees just collected their severance and will be moving on to the pension.  Houses are paid for  - not much point in trying to sell in a depressed market.  Keep hearing rumours about a sale but will not be holding my breath...


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## Swedishchef (Oct 18, 2014)

So sorry for the bad news. I honestly don't know what I would do if I got the news about losing a job.

And if I could only tell people who close factories/mill/large employers in December, of all freakin months in the year, what I truly thought of them....WHY DECEMBER!?

Andrew


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## peakbagger (Oct 18, 2014)

Maine has  requirements that workers need some sort of advanced notice before permanent plant closings. I also expect that the closing is somehow timed to line up with the parent company, Verso, buying New Page.


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## hossthehermit (Dec 17, 2014)

Well, gittin' ready to head in for my last shift ................... 42 years, 8 months, 4 days ...................mixed feelings .............................................


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## firefighterjake (Dec 17, 2014)

hossthehermit said:


> Well, gittin' ready to head in for my last shift ................... 42 years, 8 months, 4 days ...................mixed feelings .............................................




I think there's a lot of folks who are pretty disappointed with the news of the sale to a scrap metal company as they realize the implications to not only the employees but also the entire town and surrounding towns. Sad ...


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## Knots (Dec 17, 2014)

It's becoming a predictable cycle.  Some financial company buys the mill, they have someone else get it running, they mortgage it to the hilt, and then they walk away.  Wash - rinse - repeat.

Sure would be neat if someone who was interested in running it long-term for profit would buy it...


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## bubbasdad (Dec 17, 2014)

That  has happened auto supplier industry, again and again.  Companies are bought out get reorganized,  cut wages, bennies, apply for and get tax subsides, sell out, reorganize...  eventually the place is scrapped out.  Frequently the local government gets a industrial site that is very toxic, expensive to clean up.  Privatize profits, socialize losses.


Good luck, my plant closed in 08.  I have a pension, and a decent investment portfolio.  And a wife who works!!  ( pimping ain't easy!  )  I am enjoying things now, helping family members and friends, when they need it!


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## Swedishchef (Dec 17, 2014)

bubbasdad said:


> And a wife who works!! ( pimping ain't easy! )


LOL!!


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## mepellet (Dec 18, 2014)

hossthehermit said:


> Well, gittin' ready to head in for my last shift ................... 42 years, 8 months, 4 days ...................mixed feelings .............................................


Wishing you the best hoss!


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## hossthehermit (Dec 18, 2014)

Thanks for the wishes, all ...................... at least I've got a winter's worth of heat in the house ................... and if she dies, I still got 4 and a half ton of pellets and 2/3 of a tank of oil .............. sure would miss her cookin', though .....................................


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## peakbagger (Dec 19, 2014)

One thing I hate to mention is watch out for the scavengers who follow mill closings. Financial folks will pop up and have free seminars on how to deal with 401K money. They will lie and cheat to get you to transfer your 401ks over to them as most folks are fairly uneducated on them. Edwards Jones is somewhat infamous for recruiting former co workers to be their reps as they are trusted. Not as bad as many companies but they still work on commission and are very good at making sure you roll over your accounts every so often to get fresh commissions plus their expense fees are high. If you are in the situation where you need to rollover give Vanguard a call, no commissions and they are owned by the people who have accounts so no shareholders to keep happy and generally their funds are in the top ten for performance and the bottom in expenses.  Assuming you qualify for TRA designation, various technical schools will start advertising to train anyone without skills into the exciting (fill in the blank) industry. I knew of several folks who took truck driving school and few if any did it for any length of time. Taking classes extends the TRA money so folks will grab at anything and there is a rush to get the money as when it runs out there is no more. The disability folks will start advertising at some point, they will get folks hooked up with friendly doctors who will confirm that apparently healthy folks are disabled from years of work and they will gladly help you fill out the paperwork for disability. Odds are the folks get designated disabled and then they get a "welfare" check until they retire for not working (or at least not working above the table).Odds are a title loan agency will show up in town. Throw in some financial folks who will pop into town with a brilliant idea to reopen the mill if they can just get someone to lend them all the money at no risk and its easy to get discouraged.

Of course then there are the folks who will game the system, hanging out at home while the wife works bemoaning they got screwed. Odds are they are the same folks you used to work with that you knew would disappear when any hard work needed to get done. It will become quite obvious after 6 months to a year on the folks that are gaming the system and the ones that just need a hand up.  

It really sucks that this happens but I have seen it up close and know of it happening elsewhere.


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## firefighterjake (Dec 19, 2014)

peakbagger said:


> One thing I hate to mention is watch out for the scavengers who follow mill closings. Financial folks will pop up and have free seminars on how to deal with 401K money. They will lie and cheat to get you to transfer your 401ks over to them as most folks are fairly uneducated on them. Edwards Jones is somewhat infamous for recruiting former co workers to be their reps as they are trusted. Not as bad as many companies but they still work on commission and are very good at making sure you roll over your accounts every so often to get fresh commissions plus their expense fees are high. If you are in the situation where you need to rollover give Vanguard a call, no commissions and they are owned by the people who have accounts so no shareholders to keep happy and generally their funds are in the top ten for performance and the bottom in expenses.  Assuming you qualify for TRA designation, various technical schools will start advertising to train anyone without skills into the exciting (fill in the blank) industry. I knew of several folks who took truck driving school and few if any did it for any length of time. Taking classes extends the TRA money so folks will grab at anything and there is a rush to get the money as when it runs out there is no more. The disability folks will start advertising at some point, they will get folks hooked up with friendly doctors who will confirm that apparently healthy folks are disabled from years of work and they will gladly help you fill out the paperwork for disability. Odds are the folks get designated disabled and then they get a "welfare" check until they retire for not working (or at least not working above the table).Odds are a title loan agency will show up in town. Throw in some financial folks who will pop into town with a brilliant idea to reopen the mill if they can just get someone to lend them all the money at no risk and its easy to get discouraged.
> 
> Of course then there are the folks who will game the system, hanging out at home while the wife works bemoaning they got screwed. Odds are they are the same folks you used to work with that you knew would disappear when any hard work needed to get done. It will become quite obvious after 6 months to a year on the folks that are gaming the system and the ones that just need a hand up.
> 
> It really sucks that this happens but I have seen it up close and know of it happening elsewhere.



Not seeing this directly . . . but I did see on the news last night there was a career fair for these folks and wouldn't you know it . . . a bunch of colleges were there recruiting . . . not to downplay this since it may present a good opportunity for some folks to get retrained and into a new career choice . . . but the skeptical side of me was thinking the same as you -- a) just how many decent good paying jobs will this result in and b) are the colleges there for the good of the now unemployed workers or are they there to cash in on other's misfortune by picking up extra tuition?


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## hossthehermit (Dec 19, 2014)

Yes, I've seen this all happen intoo many mill closings over the last 20 years ............... I've known a lot of people affected in the other mills. The fact that this mill gave the 2 month notice just gave all the sharks time to get their plans ready, and get moved in and ready to "SAVE THE DAY" ..............


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## Zebby (Jan 1, 2015)

Sorry to hear about your mill closing and loss of jobs. I missed this news in October.
Verso lost the Sartell, Minnesota plant to an explosion & fire a couple years ago as well. 

The print/paper industries are declining.
We've lost 2 plants in the last couple of years.
The plant I work at made/makes Verso roll labels for the Bucksport, Quinnesec and Androscoggin mills.


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## hossthehermit (Jan 1, 2015)

I've seen a lot of them over the years, Zebby .................. Have you heard if you'll get to make the ones for the New Page mills, now ?????


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## Zebby (Jan 1, 2015)

We have made NewPage roll labels for some time. At least a couple of years prior to the news of the sale. 

Our plant uses mostly plain bond paper and SCK backed label paper, plus a variety of specialty papers in smaller quantities. What types did your plant produce?

Since our other plants closed and we acquired some of their equipment, we've been getting lots of OT here. Not enough workers for all the work plus a couple of new industries recently starting up.


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## hossthehermit (Jan 2, 2015)

Primarily Light Weight Coated for magazines, also a few specialty grades on one machine ......


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