Early last week, a bill, sponsored by Senate President Troy Jackson, was adopted in the last legislative session allowing loggers and logging truck drivers to organize into cooperatives.
New England Loggers Cooperative, a new cooperative run by loggers and haulers, will reap these benefits via their agreement with a paper mill in Quebec!
Their agreement enforces Maine lumber to be cut and shipped by Maine workers. This bill allows them to work in-state to help preserve Maine’s most iconic industries, while offering fair wages to their workers and better prices for their customers.
Additionally, this bill will yield significant opportunities for loggers in other states to harness their cooperative power for better prices and wages.
Maine Public and Bangor Daily News covered more of this story on their websites.
Learn more about New England Loggers Cooperative on their Facebook page.