Published: March 2, 2010

FRANKLIN—International Paper Co. has announced that it will trim more than 100 jobs from the Franklin mill’s workforce on April 30, just days after the company plans to shut down the last two paper machines at the mill.

IP sent a letter dated Feb. 26 to City of Franklin and Isle of Wight County officials in compliance with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.

According to the letter, IP plans to shut down the Nos. 4 and 5 paper machines on April 15. The company will then terminate 106 employees on April 30.

Of those, 51 are paper mill employees, 30 are in fibers general operations and 19 work at the fibers recycling plant. Another four workers are in the roll finishing department and two are in the fibers wood yard.

All of the affected workers belong to one of three unions at the mill. IP said that of the 106 workers to be let go on April 30, 55 are members of Local 1488 of the United Steelworkers of America and 51 are with Local 505 of the United Steelworkers of America.

The third union at the mill is Chapter 176 of the National Conference of Firemen & Oilers District of Local 32BJ/SEIU.

IP announced Oct. 22 that it would close the Franklin mill as part of a strategy of reducing production capacity. The company shut down the No. 6 paper machine at the mill on Nov. 9 and the No. 1 paper machine at the end of 2009.