Though St. Marys Paper closed in 2011, members of the mill’s old union — Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Local 133 — will be meeting soon to discuss some unfinished business.
“It's been 15 years since we met and we still have some money in the bank," said Roland Grondin, a former CEP Local 133 president. "So, we have to make a final decision on how we want to distribute the funds."
Former members of CEP Local 133 are asked to attend a meeting at Grand Gardens North at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept 18. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
“The funds were sitting there and the executive started doing other things, getting other jobs and stuff like that. So, they talked about getting together and finally a few members approached me and said: ‘We’ve got to do something,’" Grondin told SooToday.
“We still have funds that our local members put in and we can't do anything with it until we get them together to make a decision. So basically it's one last meeting to decide what to do with the funds and then it'll be done.”
Grondin estimated there is $12,000 left in the old union’s account.
“We’re either going to use the money to have a get-together for several years or have one big get-together or donate it all to a charity," he said. "That's stuff that the members are going to decide."
Grondin estimated there are approximately 100 former union members still living.
All are invited to attend the gathering at Grand Gardens North.
The meeting could be a bittersweet reunion for the former St. Marys Paper workers.
“We never had a chance for closure," Grondin said. "They got sent home and they shut the mill down."