The Maine Senate has given final approval to a bill sponsored by Rep. John Martin, (D-Eagle Lake) and Sen. Troy Jackson, (D-Aroostook County), that would improve employment opportunities for Maine workers in the forest industry, by a vote of 19 — 13. The bill deters landowners who receive tax benefits under the Maine Tree Growth Tax Law from hiring Canadian workers under the bonded labor program. The federal bonded labor program allows U.S. employers to hire Canadian loggers if certain criteria, such as a shortage of resident labor, are met. However, many landowners find ways to hire cheaper foreign labor despite the fact that local workers are available.
“The issue of foreign labor in my area has been a problem for a long time and this is the first step in trying to figure out a way to level the playing field with Canada,” said Martin. “For the first time there will be consequences for landowners who refuse to keep jobs in Maine.”
If the measure is signed into law, the use of bonded labor on any part of a parcel of tree growth land would result in the loss of Maine Tree Growth Tax Law benefits for the year that they hired bonded labor.
The current version of the Tree Growth Tax Law was proposed by Rep. Martin nearly 40 years ago in order to keep forest land productive and to reward landowners with a tax break for managing it that way.
“What I’m trying to do is provide incentive to the people who own the land to provide for jobs for Maine workers,” said Martin. “This is an opportunity to make sure that landowners who benefit from tax breaks are also securing jobs for Maine workers. I have constituents who have been forced to move away from northern Maine and go as far as Vermont in order to find forestry work because the local jobs are filled by Canadians.”
Sen. Jackson said, “This legislation, more than any other thing for his district is important. This issue has been going on for well over 50 years, and Maine people have been struggling to keep their place in an industry that has continually tried to get cheaper labor to come in,” he added. Sen. Jackson went on to say that Maine loggers are leaving the state because they can’t get a job,” he said.
Cross-border tensions over hiring Canadian workers instead of American workers date back several decades and there have been numerous complaints that firms are violating laws to make it appear that a shortfall of American workers exists so they can hire Canadian workers.
Several representatives spoke in support of the bill, including Reps. Nancy Smith, (D-Monmouth) and John Tuttle, (D-Sanford).
The bill, LD 1552, “An Act to Improve Employment Opportunities for Maine workers in the Forest Industry,” will now go to Gov. John Baldacci for final consideration.