USW members voted overwhelmingly this winter to ratify a new four-year master agreement that provides significant annual wage increases and additional benefits for about 2,400 members of nine local unions at Domtar paper facilities across the United States.
The contract, which runs through December 2029, followed months of member preparations and bargaining during a period of major changes in the company and across the paper industry. It was the first time USW members bargained a new agreement since Paper Excellence acquired Domtar in 2021 and then Resolute in 2023. As members prepared for negotiations, they faced market slowdowns and downtime that reduced production.
"With new ownership and leadership at the table, we knew this round of bargaining would be challenging," said International Vice President Luis Mendoza, who oversees the union's paper sector. "It wasn't easy, but with working families seeing expenses rising across the board, and the industry in a time of uncertainty, members should be proud of the progress they made in this agreement."
The agreement, which USW members negotiated alongside their co-workers in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and International Union of Operating Engineers, included a signing bonus, a boost in pension payments, wage increases of more than 12 percent over the life of the contract, and continued affordable health care coverage.
"By standing together, members achieved a fair agreement that rewards their hard work but also positions the company for success and protects workers' future in a changing industry," Mendoza said.
The Domtar master agreement covers members of Local 1327, Local 1329 and Local 1329-01 in Ashdown, Ark.; Local 319 in Rothschild, Wis.; Local 1356 and Local 1423 in Plymouth, N.C.; Local 59 in Nekoosa, Wis.; Local 1261 in Hawesville, Ky.; Local 1261-01 in Owensboro, Ky.; Local 10-701 in Johnsonburg, Pa.; Local 12943 in Kingsport, Tenn.; and Local 266 in West Carrollton, Ohio.
Domtar acquired several USW-represented facilities from Resolute Forest Products in 2023, but those plants are not yet part of the union's master agreement with the company.
Nationwide Solidarity
Rank-and-file leaders said the agreement - which includes the best wage increases the USW has ever achieved with Domtar - was the result of strong communication and unwavering solidarity across the country.
"Building a strong relationship with members at the other locations is vital to getting a good agreement," said Eric Pulliam, president of Local 1261 at the company's integrated pulp and paper mill in Hawesville, Ky. "Communication is the key."
Members got an early start on strengthening that foundation, meeting several times during the months leading up to bargaining to discuss their approach and share ideas. In addition, USW leaders conducted detailed surveys and had numerous meetings and conversations with members about their priorities.
"We had a feel for what the population wanted," said Mike Kilgore, president of Local 1329 at Domtar's mill in Ashdown, Ark. "We used that information to build our proposal. Those were the key priorities we pushed for."
The solidarity that led to the agreement was nothing new for the members of the Domtar Council, which consists of leaders from each USW-represented facility. In addition to building solidarity for contract negotiations, the group meets regularly in non-bargaining years to address health and safety, fair trade, and other issues affecting the industry.
"We're all on the same page, fighting for the same things," said Tim Brewer, president of Local 266 in West Carrollton, Ohio.
The group works together to reach a master contract, which covers major issues such as wages, benefits and retirement, while members at each location also bargain individual agreements that cover rules and working conditions specific to each plant.
Communication Key
Jennifer Beard, president of Local 1327 in Ashdown, Ark., said the ability of council members to quickly communicate and organize activities in their locals and across the company is a major factor in the success of the bargaining committee.
"We get to know each other and build a rapport," she said. "That solidarity between plants is valuable."
