PAPERTOWN BLUES.

Canton's paper mill, a key part of western North Carolina's economy for 125 years, is slated to close in June after New Zealand billionaire Graeme Hart's Pactiv Evergreen declared the operation as no longer economically viable. The closing, which is expected to affect about 1,100 workers, surprised state and local officials, who hope the plant can be sold to a new owner rather than demolished.

The decision came amid labor discord at the mill, where testy relations between the union workforce and ownership has been a common theme for many years. Pactiv Evergreen's labor agreement with the United Steelworkers' local union expired last May, and union workers twice rejected company proposals since then.

The plant produces coated paperboard that is used in coffee cups, milk...