PORT TOWNSEND — Laid-off workers at Port Townsend Paper Corp.’s bag plant got a big Christmas present as the federal government approved an assistance package providing significant extended unemployment benefits and retraining funds.
The decision by the U.S. Department of Labor came the day before Saturday’s closure of the bag plant, which closed after 65 years of operations because company officials said it was no longer profitable.
Because of the closure, 105 workers lost their jobs in Port Townsend. Fifteen will be transferred to other positions or take early retirement.
The remaining 90 workers were laid off.
Under the North American Free Trade Agreement-related assistance program, the laid-off workers will receive payments for up to a year after their unemployment benefits run out.
Workers will also get assistance for two years of retraining, including college tuition reimbursements and other employment-related services, according the Department of Labor.
The rest of this story appears in today’s Sunday edition of the Peninsula Daily News. Click on “Subscribe” to get the PDN delivered to your home or office.
