Interview with Anonymous Company Forestry Manager

Authors

Michael G. Hillard PhD, University of Southern MaineFollow

Files

Date of Interview

6-15-2006

Duration of Audio File

Audio File 1 -- 01:14:41; Audio File 2 -- 0:20:27

Age

Between 45 and 60 years old

Gender

Male

Occupation/Work History

Forestry manager in charge of woodcutting operations and wood procurement.

Role

Management

Keywords

Woodcutters Strike, Maine Labor History, Maine Paper Industry

Description

This interview describes evolution of economic arrangements between a paper company and woodcutters over thirty year period beginning in the 1970s.

Comments

Interviewee describes the evolution of woodcutting technology during the era of "mechanization" when loggers transitioned from using chainsaws and skidders to mechanized operations using feller bunchers and grapple skidders. Loggers were hired directly for "company crews" to use the more advanced equipment during the 1960s, 1970s, and most of the 1980s. Contractors used the older technology. Once technology was mastered by companies, contractors were willing take on risk of buying the much more productive mechanized technology. Over time, using contractors was less costly because companies could use their economic might to reduce loggers' income, which they did in the 1990s. Interview is very detailed and describes the evolution of the complex arrangements between loggers and the companies; also a great deal on the companies' abandonment of using French Canadian guest workers in the years after the Maine Woodmen's Association (MWA) strike of 1975.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Hillard, Michael G. PhD, "Interview with Anonymous Company Forestry Manager" (2006). Maine Woodman’s Association Strike of 1975. 1.
https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/maine-woodsmans-strike/1