LONGVIEW, Washington (From The Daily News) -- Union millworkers have approved KapStone's latest contract offer, drawing an end to the protracted labor dispute that has stretched over two years at the Longview pulp and paper mill.

The seven-year agreement starts immediately and expires May 31, 2024. The latest offer has a two-year extension added on that ensures continued better raises, said Kurt Gallow, president of Local 153 Association of Western Pulp and Paperworkers.

A signing bonus will be paid out once the two-year extension goes into effect. A high-deductible Kaiser Permanente health insurance plan and other benefits remained largely unchanged from the previous offers, he added.

Union leaders agreed to vote on the offer after KapStone said it would rehire four workers who were fired in last year's 12-day strike.

"It's been a long, emotional battle. I'm sure there are a lot of people that are happy to have it over, and I'm sure the happiest people out there are those guys who have been out of work for 16 months," Gallow said.

The union, which represents about 800 workers at the mill, declined to disclose the exact results of the contract ratification vote. Voting took place Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Local 153's bargaining board had unanimously recommended approving the offer. Nevertheless, union leaders earlier Wednesday had been unsure about the outcome of the vote, noting that the mood among members was mixed.

The union and KapStone representatives had not bargained in several months prior to working out the new, now-ratified deal about two weeks ago. Negotiations resumed shortly after an administrative law judge in November sided with the company that it legally fired the workers for strike misconduct.

Although the fired workers are getting their jobs back, the union will continue an appeal in hopes of winning back pay for the 16 months they were off the job, Gallow said.

"We're very happy to get those terminated workers back to work. That's a win for us and a win for them," Gallow said.

Local 153 had been without a contract since their previous one expired in 2014. In late summer last year, KapStone declared an impasse after months of failed talks and imposed a contract offer. Shortly after, the union went on a 12-day strike that ended with no contract or promise from the company to return to the bargaining table. It had been more than 30 years since Local 153 members walked off the job.

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