Aug 21, 2009. /Lesprom Network/. About 700 AbitibiBowater workers in Thunder Bay will likely vote on a tentative agreement next week, a day or two after 2 senior union officials meet with AbitibiBowater next week in Ottawa, ForestTalk reported. The deal is expected to result in “operational changes” to help keep the high-cost mill in production. A similar exercise two years ago between union and management negotiators saved the Thunder Bay operation nearly $17 million, but also required the loss of about 170 jobs. Company officials emphasized Thursday that the plant‘s newsprint division – already shut down several times this spring – could still be idled again.