Gluesenkamp Perez to Longview Mill: Pay Your Workers

LONGVIEW, WA – Today, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez sent a letter to executives at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company asking them to clarify their commitment to pay Longview millworkers during an ongoing investigation by the Chemical Safety Board. The mill in Longview was the site of a devastating industrial incident last week that killed 11 workers. 

In the immediate aftermath of this tragedy, Nippon Dynawave staff made a verbal commitment to pay its workers for the duration of the investigation. Now they seem to be walking that back, telling workers they’ll only be paid through June 7, 2026. Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez’s letter asks for clarity on the company’s commitments, and urges them to pay workers for the complete duration of any investigation.

“A community must come together in a time of tragedy. These are our friends, our neighbors, our families, and we need to make sure they’re being taken care of,” said Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez. “I’m deeply concerned – if the company doesn’t stand by its commitment to pay workers, it’s just going to pile on even more hardship for people who are already uncertain about the future of their livelihoods.”

The mill employs 550 people and is a critical part of the local economy. The letter expresses concern that this skilled workforce, which took generations to build, needs certainty and support to ensure the future of the mill and the industry overall.

Read the letter here. 

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