Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez advocates for Nippon worker pay

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez wrote to Nippon Dynawave Packaging Company executives Monday, asking them to confirm whether Longview mill workers will continue to be paid during the ongoing investigation into the May 26 tank failure.

Brian Wood, support services director for Nippon, said at a May 28 press conference that people who are unable to work because of the accident are being paid.

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But in her letter, Gluesenkamp Perez wrote that employees were later told they will only be paid through Sunday, June 6.

"The workers affected by this tragedy are part of a skilled workforce built by generations of men and women who have made their livelihood in the woods and at the mill," she wrote. "Their experience and dedication is essential to the future of this facility and the forest products industry."

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This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 6:25 PM.