Three locals of the United Steelworkers (USW) today said that about 480 union members were locked out of their jobs at a Russell County paper mill.

According to the union, members of locals 971, 1471 and 1972 were locked out this morning at WestRock Mahrt Mill in Cottonton.

This comes after the deadline passed this morning for a renegotiated labor agreement between the locals and the company. The plant manufactures paperboard and other products.

In a statement, WestRock said it “proceeded with a lockout this morning to ensure the safety of our employees and our operations. Paper mill(s) are complex operations, and WestRock initiated an orderly transfer of operation today to ensure we can continue to safely operate the mill and serve our customers.”

According to union members, the contract dispute has to do with overtime pay and other issues.

“WestRock presented an official (last, best and final) contract offer to the USW unions at our Mahrt mill in Cottonton, Alabama, and the union did not approve the contract. Back on September 26, the union provided the mill with notice that it was terminating the contract in 10 days,” the company said in a statement.

“WestRock has negotiated in good faith with the union and is disappointed that the union declined our offer. We understand this is a difficult situation for all involved, and we hope that we will have resolution to this matter quickly.”

USW District 9 Director Daniel Flippo said the union will pursue other action through the National Labor Relations Board.

“In its drive to force workers into overtime without fair compensation for time spent away from their families, WestRock has shown that it is willing to break federal labor laws,” Flippo said.

“Management needs to end this lockout immediately, return these workers to their jobs and commit to resolving our differences at the table to ensure our members have a proper work-life balance. All workers deserve this.”