No Resolution Reached as Blandin Paper Strike in Grand Rapids Reaches Day 6

Credit: Teamsters Joint Council 32

It’s day six of the Blandin paper mill workers’ strike in Grand Rapids, and despite negotiations today, no resolution has been reached.

According to UPM Blandin, their company’s negotiating team met with Teamsters Local 346 membership as planned today and proposals were exchanged. Blandin says at this time, the proposals are fundamentally different and that they are going to take time to review both proposals and consider potential paths to finding an agreement.

Blandin has proposed resuming discussions on August 2nd. They say they are hopeful they can reach an agreement when negotiations resume.

Teamsters Local 346 says all its union members are striking due to insufficient wages, an unfair two-tier economic and benefit system, and employee staffing levels. 166 workers went on strike effective at 6 a.m. this past Saturday morning.

Jeff Oveson, the president of Teamsters Local 346, tells Lakeland News that although it is good that the parties are getting together and talking, it is “disappointing” that the company still hasn’t addressed the union’s core issues. Oveson says it is also disappointing that the company doesn’t have dates for bargaining again until early August, and that their employees deserve to be higher on their priority list.