LABOR FLEXIBILITY - A TALE OF 2 MILLS

In many established industries survival during the 1980s has required productivitiy improvements, massive job loss and the achievement of ne w, more 'flexible' working conditions. Yet, the search for smaller, mo re flexible work forces is necessarily an uncertain and contentious pr ocess, especially in situations characterized by IN SITU adjustments a nd entrenched Fordist labour relations. This article focuses on IN SIT U restructuring and the search for flexibility in a Fordist labour rel ations environment, notably the coastal lumber industry of British Col umbia, by comparatively analyzing the recent experiences of the Chemai nus and Youbou sawmills. The differences in the introduction of new te chnology reflect the presence of an irreducible local component in lab our control which in turn show variations in the strategies of managem ent and labour in imposing and resisting that control. We also note th at in contrast to the consistent profitability of the Chemainus mill, at Youbou the failure of management and union to achieve more comprehe nsive forms of flexibility is a reflection, and cause, of Youbou's mar ginality.