To the Editor:
Cumberland Times-News
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To all elected officials:
As President of United Steelworkers Local 676 at NewPage’s paper mill in Luke and representative of 670 USW members I am urging you to support the American paper industry in their current unfair trade case on coated paper with China and Indonesia.
According to federal law, China and Indonesia are illegally dumping coated paper into the United States after receiving government subsidies allowing them to sell paper at a less than fair market value.
As long as the Chinese government is subsidizing paper companies in excess of $4 billion, no matter what technological advances are made in the industry American workers cannot compete.
The Luke mill currently has a $200 million dollar impact on its surrounding area. No one in this area can afford to have anything detrimental happen to the paper mill. This country cannot afford to have the paper follow in the footsteps of the steel industry.
All we request is a level playing field which cannot be achieved as long as these subsidies are allowed. An International Trade Commission hearing is scheduled for Sept. 16, and we value and expect every elected official’s full support on this matter.
Greg Harvey
President USW Local 676
