Irving Woodlands threatens to fire full-time employees

    AUGUSTA — Sen. Troy Jackson (D-Aroostook County) of Allagash is expressing concern over a recent decision by Irving Woodlands, LLC., to layoff all full-time employees unless the Maine Legislature overturns a collective bargaining law.     The law, enacted in 2004, allows loggers who own and operate their own equipment to enter into a collective bargaining agreement when one forest landowner owns, possesses or acquires economic control over more than 400,000 acres in a labor market area. When requested, the state’s Forestry Rate Proceedings Panel, organized under the State Board of Arbitration and Conciliation will determine reasonable rates of compensation to be paid by a forest landowner for forest products hauling and harvesting services in a specified area of the State. Since enactment of this law five years ago, no such request has been made, and no rates set.
    “This bill was passed because Irving Woodlands had our loggers over a barrel,” said Sen. Jackson, a logging contractor from Allagash.  “They own all the land that is harvested in northern Maine, where the bulk of our logging industry is employed, and if you wanted to work, you had to work for them at their below market value rates.  It was unfair to the workers and it created an unfair monopoly.”
    In 2008, Irving Woodlands, LLC requested that the law be suspended or they would be forced to close the Pinkham Saw Mill in Nashville Plantation (near Ashland), forcing 120 workers out of jobs. The Legislature enacted emergency legislation suspending the 2004 law for one year. By August of 2008, Irving Woodlands, LLC had closed the mill, dismantled it and moved its operations to Canada.
    “They blackmailed us then and they are doing it again. As we saw last year, we can’t trust them to live up to their end of the bargain,” said Sen. Jackson. “By threatening to lay-off all their full-time employees unless we meet their demands, they are pitting the hourly employees against the contractors. This is exactly the type of attitude that led to the original bill five years ago. If you are not willing to come to the table to negotiate for fair wages, then you can’t just pick up your ball and go home.”
    No legislation is currently pending to repeal or suspend the 2004 law.
    A forum on logging issues is being held this Saturday, June 6 at 9 a.m. at the University of Maine at Fort Kent, in the Fox Auditorium.