NEWS FROM THE SECOND DISTRICT
This past week, Taylor County received heartbreaking news. Congressman Neal Dunn spoke with executives from Georgia Pacific and Koch Industries, including the head of cellulose operations at Georgia-Pacific, to express his extreme outrage at the announcement of their Perry Foley Cellulose mill closure.
Sadly, these conversations were extremely unhelpful. The callous and vague responses Congressman Dunn received left him wondering: “But what about the families?” The devastating hurricane already impacted their lives. The last thing they need is Scrooge viciously taking away their jobs and benefits before Christmas.
Following the calls, Congressman Dunn sent Georgia-Pacific a list of demands 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. All these things are completely reasonable, given the circumstances.
Congressman Dunn would like to thank Governor Ron DeSantis for his help in requesting support for these employees and for ensuring plenty of job resources are available. He would also like to thank Agricultural Commissioner Wilton Simpson, CFO Jimmy Patronis, Florida Senator Corey Simon, and Florida Representative Jason Shoaf for the joint effort to support Taylor County during this difficult time.
Make no mistake, moving forward, Congressman Dunn’s eyes will be on Koch Industries and Georgia-Pacific to guarantee that they actively support their employees in Florida’s Second Congressional District.
Angela Small
Radio Production Assistant
