Cedar Springs, Ga. (WDNews) – As Georgia-Pacific prepares to close its Cedar Springs mill on August 1, more than 500 employees are now facing the next phase—life after the job. A recent meeting between union leaders and company officials shed light on severance packages, offering some answers but also raising tough questions for workers and their families.
Sources tell WDNews that employees will receive one week of full pay for every full year they’ve worked at the mill, with the payout capped at 26 weeks. Georgia-Pacific has also agreed to include a 3% raise—originally due in March—into the severance package calculation.
To help readers understand what that could look like, a
hypothetical
breakdown is shared: an employee earning $25 per hour and working a standard 40-hour week would receive $1,000 per week in severance pay. If that employee had worked at the mill for three full years, their severance could total $3,000. For long-term workers—many of whom have been with Georgia-Pacific for over 26 years—the maximum payout would equal 26 weeks of pay, or $26,000 under this example. Actual amounts will vary depending on each individual’s wage and tenure.
Employee health insurance and other benefits are expected to remain in place through the end of August, one month after the closure sources say.
But the severance plan only eases part of the burden. For many employees—particularly those nearing retirement age—the closure brings deeper concerns. Some workers in their 60s are now being pushed into retirement earlier than planned. Starting over at that age, with fewer job prospects and steeper financial risks, will be challenging at best.
Job recruiters and career support staff have been stationed on site to help with résumés and job searches. A job fair is in the works for mid-July, aimed at helping employees find new opportunities in the region.
Though some steps are being taken to ease the transition, the closure marks more than the end of a job—it’s the end of a daily routine, a work family, and for many, the only job they’ve ever known.
