LONGVIEW, Washington (From The Daily News) -- KapStone Paper and Packaging announced Tuesday it will halt production at its Longview mill for one week due to "seasonally softer market conditions" -- or weakened demand for its paper products.

The curtailment will begin 7 a.m. Monday and "is expected to last seven days for the entire mill and will be extended an additional two days for certain product grades and paper machines," the company said in a press release. No other KapStone mills will be affected.

The company declined to elaborate on its plans. "We are in the process of communicating internally with our employees about the curtailment and effects on schedules and pay. It would be premature for us to comment further at this time," a KapStone representative said in a statement.

About 1,100 employees work at the Longview mill, including nearly 800 unionized workers represented by Association of Western Pulp & Paper Workers Local 153.

Kurt Gallow, president of Local 153, noted that the Longview plant has gone through production curtailments before, but this is the first time the mill has done so in at least six years.

Employees are reportedly being told that the curtailment is being driven by a lack of orders.

Gallow said the time off will be unpaid, unless employees take paid vacation time or use floating holidays. Sentiment among employees toward the curtailment is mixed, he said.

"There's a lot of people that are happy to be off at Christmas time for their family, but I'm sure there's a few people that would rather work because they have bills to pay and it's Christmastime."

The union continues to work without a contract after ending a 12-day strike in September, and no new bargaining talks are planned. The company imposed its last offer.