Roseburg Forest Products has closed its hardwood plywood mill in Dillard four times since 2004, according to Sid Walter, president of Carpenters Local 2949. Each time, workers in the rural Douglas County area — where well-paying jobs can be scarce amid the timber industry's decline — have had their lives disrupted.
But this time, Walter said, was especially bad.
"They called everybody up late at night and just told them that you don't have a job anymore," Walter said. Workers were told to contact human resources about retrieving their personal belongings.
The union organized a picket at the mill on Oct. 13, featuring former workers dressed as "unemployed zombies" in the spirit of Halloween.
"It was just a horrible way to shut down," Walter said. "Over half these people have been there for 20 years or longer."
Roseburg Forest Products permanently closed the mill in late September, laying off 107 workers. In a statement, the company said it is leaving the hardwood business altogether, citing competition from lower-cost foreign imports, which now account for 80% of the U.S. market.
"The company's decision to exit reflects a disciplined approach to long-term competitiveness and product alignment," the statement said.
Since April 2023, the company says it has invested nearly $700 million in its Southern Oregon operations.
Walter said Roseburg Forest Products froze employee pension plans in 2016. Employees applying for jobs at other company facilities may lose their seniority. It's a hard choice for those who have worked at the mill for decades, Walter said.
"They're a little bit too young to retire and they're too old to really start over somewhere else," said Walter. "It's going to have a huge impact on the majority of those employees."
"Where is the handshake integrity for these employees with sawdust in the veins, and the reciprocated loyalty to the people who helped build this company?" a union statement reads.
Workers are picketing for more severance pay and an extension of pay and benefits beyond what is required by federal law. Walter said they also want a guarantee that the mill will continue as a union shop if reopened.
"We're kind of concerned that this is a tactic that they're going to use to just push the union out all together," Walter said.
This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.