PenPly cuts wages to afford materials; president says move is temporary

PORT ANGELES — Peninsula Plywood is cutting pay by 10 percent for its hourly workers, a move the company’s president said is needed to fill orders.

The cut affects 110 employees and will start next pay period.

PenPly President Josh Renshaw said the cuts are intended to be temporary and will be reviewed after 90 days. Management took the same cut in November, he said.

Renshaw said the mill made the cuts in order to have enough money to buy the raw materials needed to meet orders, which he added are on an upswing after dropping last year when a fire destroyed the control room for its two boilers.

“We have to be able to shelve the orders,” he said.

“It costs money to grow. And if we don’t grow, we won’t be stable.”

The pay cut will save the mill $25,000 a month, Renshaw said.

The average employee makes $16 an hour, he said.

Renshaw said the mill attempted to get a loan to cover the costs but couldn’t. He attributed that to a tight credit market.

The mill is attempting to get additional orders for plywood in Japan as the country recovers from the large earthquake in March, Renshaw said.

The mill reopened under the ownership of Peninsula Plywood Group LLC in March 2010.

It was hit by bad luck two months later when a fire destroyed the control room for its two boilers.

It furloughed 92 employees for a week in August and laid off 35 workers in October.

This year, five tax warrants have been filed against the company.

A warrant for $41,905 in unpaid unemployment insurance taxes was filed Jan. 11.

Two separate warrants totalling $220,569 for unpaid industrial insurance taxes were filed Jan. 13.

A warrant for $13,689 in unpaid unemployment insurance taxes was filed March 8.

Another tax warrant for unpaid industrial insurance taxes totalling $63,786 was filed March 25.

It’s unclear whether the warrants overlapped or if they have been paid.

Renshaw could not be reached for comment on the owed taxes.

________

Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.

More in News

Two people were displaced after a house fire in the 4700 block of West Valley Road in Chimacum on Thursday. No injuries were reported. (East Jefferson Fire Rescue)
Two displaced after Chimacum house fire

One person evacuated safely along with two pets from a… Continue reading

A Port Angeles city worker places a tree topper on the city’s Christmas tree, located at the Conrad Dyar Memorial Fountain at the intersection of Laurel and First streets. A holiday street party is scheduled to take place in downtown Port Angeles from noon to 7 p.m. Nov. 30 with the tree lighting scheduled for about 5 p.m. (Emma Maple/Peninsula Daily News)
Top of the town

A Port Angeles city worker places a tree topper on the city’s… Continue reading

Hospital board passes budget

OMC projecting a $2.9 million deficit

Lighthouse keeper Mel Carter next to the original 1879 Fresnel lens in the lamp room at the Point Wilson Lighthouse. (Elijah Sussman/Peninsula Daily News)
Donations to aid pediatrics clinic, workforce

Recipients thank donors at hospital commissioners’ meeting

Whitefeather Way intersection closed at Highway 101

Construction crews have closed the intersection of Whitefeather Way and… Continue reading

EYE ON THE PENINSULA: Commissioners to consider levies, budgets

Meetings across the North Olympic Peninsula

Highway 112 partially reopens to single-lane traffic

Maintenance crews have reopened state Highway 112 between Sekiu… Continue reading

Laken Folsom, a Winter Ice Village employee, tries to remove leaves that blew in from this week’s wind storm before they freeze into the surface of the rink on Thursday. The Winter Ice Village, operated by the Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce in the 100 block of West Front Street, opens today and runs through Jan. 5. Hours are from noon to 9 p.m. daily. New this year is camera showing the current ice village conditions at www.skatecam.org. (Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News)
Ice village opens in Port Angeles

Laken Folsom, a Winter Ice Village employee, tries to remove leaves that… Continue reading

Fort PDA receiver protecting assets

Principal: New revenue streams needed

Ella Biss, 4, sits next to her adoptive mother, Alexis Biss, as they wait in Clallam County Family Court on Thursday for the commencement of the ceremony that will formalize the adoption of Ella and her 9-year-old brother John. (Emma Maple/Peninsula Daily News)
Adoption ceremony highlights need for Peninsula foster families

State department says there’s a lack of foster homes for older children, babies

Legislature to decide fate of miscalculation

Peninsula College may have to repay $339K