The Maine Forest Products Council is asking Gov. John Baldacci and the Canadian government for help with what they say could become a shortage of wood for Maine mills. At issue is a new law that prevents Canadian loggers working in Maine from collecting unemployment during mud season. The Council says the new law is discouraging Canadians from working on this side of the border, and making it difficult to harvest wood.

In a letter to the governor, Patrick Strauch of the Maine Forest Products Council, and Joel Swanton of the Forest Resources Association, say that logging contractors are having a difficult time attracting qualified labor to harvest their wood. And they warn that Maine mills could face a possible shortage of wood supply in the coming months.

Their July 7th letter suggests that the reason for their concern relates to the Legislature's passage of LD 1545, "An Act To Protect Maine Workers." The bill included a change that prohibits Canadian loggers brought to Maine under the federal bonded labor program from qualifying for Maine unemployment insurance during the several-months-long mud season.

They say this change is having a chilling effect on the ability of logging employers to attract Canadian loggers. And Strauch says they're looking for a solution. "We're not talking about undoing the law or trying to contest the law. We're trying to build a solution for those bonded laborers who are now clearly not eligible for unemployment insurance."

Strauch says the Canadian government also appears interested in finding a remedy. He says his letter is meant to encourage Gov. Baldacci's office to keep the lines of communication open. But Baldacci's spokesman, David Farmer, is downplaying the industry's fears. "At this point, the notion that there will be a supply problem of wood or of workers is premature."

Farmer points out that the whole purpose of LD 1545, and of the federal bonded labor program, is to make sure that American workers have an opportunity to apply for jobs before the same jobs are offered to Canadians. And as far as Maine contractors having difficulty hiring, Farmer says that doesn't seem to be a widespread problem.

"The Department of Labor hasn't had very many requests from contractors seeking workers, or for help with requirement of workers, so to jump to the conclusion that there's a labor shortage when the law requires, and the federal regulations require, that you actively recruit U.S. workers first -- it's too early to make that conclusion."

State Sen. Troy Jackson of Allagash takes a more skeptical view of the letter from the logging industry reps to the governor, and of their efforts to get help from the Canadian government. "It's unbelievably bold, I would say."

Jackson, who sponsored the bill and is a logger from northern Maine, has long had issues with the bonded labor program. He says it's being exploited by some U.S. logging companies who prefer to hire cheaper Canadian workers whose health care is already provided by their government.

The logging industry's response is that too few Maine loggers are available or interested in working remote regions of the state. The letter to Gov. Baldacci suggests that discussions with the Canadians have focused on that government providing some type of assistance to Canadian workers.

"So that would make it advantageous for them to come here, but what it really does - what's scary for people here in Maine -- is that it's going to make it considerably less costly to hire them now because Maine employers won't have to pay any unemployment on them," Jackson says.

Part of Jackson's legislation also requires companies to cast a wider recruitment net for U.S. loggers. But to date, Patrick Strauch of the Maine Forest Products Council says few of them have applied for woods work that is available.