Plum Creek trims another 39 jobs

Plum Creek Timber Co. has laid off another 39 people - 24 salaried and 15 hourly workers.

Employees got their notices on April 14, Director of Communications Kathy Budinick said from Seattle, and will be paid through the end of April.

The hourly workers were laid off from the Evergreen plywood operation. Salaried positions are scattered among several different departments in Columbia Falls headquarters, including administration, information technology and finance.

Before the most recent layoffs, Plum Creek employed 885 workers in Flathead County.

The company's overall drop in business made it necessary, she said. "Because we have reduced our manufacturing capacity over time there is less need for these positions," Budinick said. "There is a need for all of these functional areas, but there just is not a need for these levels."

She said Plum Creek does not anticipate these jobs being restored.

"The business environment continues to be extremely challenging," she said.

Budinick did not rule out future layoffs.

"Anything is possible, unfortunately," she said. "We are monitoring it on a daily basis. I can't say there won't be more."

With business in the overall timber industry drastically slashed because of the downturn in construction and the global economic recession, she said the company had to take the action.

"As is always the case when we have to make a tough decision like this, we don't take them lightly," she said. "The human impact on the employees and their families [is significant]. It's a tough decision we have to make and unfortunately we have to make some adjustments to manage the situation."

Budinick said severance and benefits packages for laid-off employees will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Reporter Nancy Kimball can be reached at 758-4483 or by e-mail at nkimball@dailyinterlake.com