photo by Submitted photo

Kaine: Governor Tim Kaine speaks to reporters in Franklin on Friday during a visit to the area to assess the situation that will result from the announced closure of International Paper Co. Kaine promised help for the 1,100 IP workers who will lose their jobs and for others who will be affected by the shutdown.

Governor visits IP

Kaine offers help, hope to workers

By Nicholas Langhorne (Contact) | Suffolk News-Herald

Published Saturday, October 31, 2009

FRANKLIN — Governor Tim Kaine visited Franklin Friday, meeting with local and state officials, as well as employees at International Paper Co.’s soon-to-be-closed Franklin mill.

“He basically wanted to have a casual conversation with local officials, union leaders and other folks that have been involved in the terrible consequences with this plant,” said Lynda Tran, Kaine’s communication director.

The governor arrived by helicopter at John Beverly Rose-Franklin Municipal Airport just before 1:30 p.m. and then traveled to a closed-door meeting with local, state and IP officials at City Hall.

“We talked about three basic things,” he said of the closed-door meeting: plans for the immediate response effort; plans, either in tandem with IP or without, to look at reuse of the facility; and broader economic development issues for the region.

Kaine said broader economic development issues are important “because this affects not just the workers, obviously, but a whole lot of others, and we need to be creative in looking at opportunities to come in.” He said unused stimulus funds could be used to help the region, and it should be considered as lawmakers work on the state budget.

“It seems like everybody’s focused on the same thing, and that’s making sure that the families that are going to be hurt by the closing have whatever kind of support we can offer,” he said.

IP union leader Carroll Story, who’s worked at the mill for 31 years, said he thought the meeting was productive.

“It was all about seeing what the government can bring to the table,” he said. Story said he’s concerned about all of the employees under the age of 49, who won’t be able to tap into their pensions when the mill closes, but said he is sure the governor “will do all he can to help this region.”

After leaving City Hall, Kaine, and the other officials traveled to IP, where they talked with employees at the facility’s main gate as shifts changed.

“This was a pretty sobering visit, but also a pretty inspirational one, to talk to folks who feel so strongly a pride in their work, a pride in this community,” Kaine said.

Kaine said that he spoke to people who have worked at the mill for 30-plus years and, whose families have worked there for generations.

“This was helpful, because it’s one thing to get the to-do list, but it’s another thing to put a face next to each item on the to-do list,” he said.

While efforts are focused on helping soon-to-be displaced workers and their families, Kaine said there still needs to be a dialogue with the company to figure out how it arrived at the decision to close the mill.

“There are questions,” he said. “This plant has been a productive plant and a profitable one.”

Hearing from so many longtime IP employees will help the state coordinate its response to the mill’s closure, Kaine said.

“What they said to me was we want to stay here in this community,” he said. “This is a great place to live. Because they’ve shared, we’ll do a better job of responding.”

Story said education and job training would likely be very important as mill workers transition to new jobs.

“People have deep roots around here; they don’t want to pull up their roots and leave, so they’re going to be looking for alternative employment,” he said.

Kaine said economic taskforce plans are still being developed, and there will probably be something to announce early next week.

Throughout the recession, Virginia’s unemployment rate has consistently ranked among the lowest in the country, and recently reports surfaced that the country’s recession may be over. While pleased with the positive news, Kaine acknowledged it was little consolation to IP workers or their families.

“It’s no comfort to a community that’s lost a plant, and it’s no comfort to a family that’s lost a job,” he said.

“It’s the people that made this a great community,” said Delegate Bill Barlow, (D-64th). “And the people are still here.”

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