Labour Flexibility: A Tale of Two Mills

In many established industries survival during the 1980s has required productivity improvements, massive job loss and the achievement of new, more ‘flexible’ working conditions. Yet, the search for smaller, more flexible work forces is necessarily an uncertain and contentious process, especially in situations characterized by IN SITU adjustments and entrenched Fordist labour relations. This article focuses on IN SITU restructuring and the search for flexibility in a Fordist labour relations environment, notably the coastal lumber industry of British Columbia, by comparatively analyzing the recent experiences of the Chemainus and Youbou sawmills. The differences in the introduction of new technology reflect the presence of an irreducible local component in labour control which in turn show variations in the strategies of management and labour in imposing and resisting that control. We also note that in contrast to the consistent profitability of the Chemainus mill, at Youbou the failure of management and union to achieve more comprehensive forms of flexibility is a reflection, and cause, of Youbou's marginality.