Layoffs at the Wausau Paper mill in Brokaw will start in February. The date was included in a layoff notice sent to the state Wednesday and made public for the first time on Thursday. The Mosinee-based paper maker will lay off all of its 450 employees starting February 10 or during the two weeks after that.
The state workforce development department will send a rapid response team to meet with the company, union reps and workers. The team will hold an orientation for workers to figure out what services they need. Affected workers will have access to basic services through the state’s Job Centers like job training skills, job search and career planning assistance.
The department will also look at whether workers are eligible for federal trade adjustment assistance. That decision is based on whether the workers are losing their jobs as a result of foreign trade or competition.
Wausau Paper’s decision to close the mill comes as it plans to sell its print and color brand division to Neenah Paper. The Brokaw mill has been operating at a financial loss since 2002.
Matt Lehman-WSAU