Tallahassee Sun

PERRY, FL - Congressman Neal Dunn (Florida-02) is fighting for the families affected by the recent closure announcement of the Georgia-Pacific Perry Foley Cellulose mill. In a statement released today, Congressman Dunn expressed his disappointment with the company's response and outlined a list of demands to support the affected employees and their communities.

"Today's call with the head of cellulose operations at Georgia-Pacific was extremely unhelpful. His callous and vague responses left me wondering 'But what about the families?'" said Congressman Dunn. "The devastating hurricane already impacted their lives. The last thing they need is Scrooge viciously taking away their jobs and benefits before Christmas."

Recognizing the immediate needs of the affected families, Congressman Dunn made the following demands to Georgia-Pacific based on community feedback:

• Extend health benefits, pay, and severance for at least six months.
• Organize food banks for at least six months.
• Provide paid leave for employees to access job fairs.
• Provide and pay for access to job training resources.
• Donate the building to the County after the closure.

Congressman Dunn emphasized the reasonableness of these demands given the circumstances and highlighted the collaborative efforts with Florida Senator Corey Simon and Florida Representative Jason Shoaf to ensure the constituents are cared for, just as they did in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia.

"Make no mistake, moving forward, my eyes will be on Koch Industries and Georgia-Pacific to guarantee that they actively support their employees in Florida's Second Congressional District," Congressman Dunn added.

The closure of the Georgia-Pacific Perry Foley Cellulose mill, announced on September 18^th, 2023, will directly impact approximately 525 jobs. Georgia-Pacific cited "various factors" as the reason behind this difficult decision. In response, Congressman Dunn sent a letter to Georgia-Pacific on September 19^th, 2023, urging them to reconsider and address the needs of the affected employees and their families.

For more information about Congressman Neal Dunn's efforts and updates on the Georgia-Pacific closure, please visit https://www.nealdunn.house.gov