DIVERGING PATTERNS - LABOR IN THE PACIFIC-NORTHWEST WOOD PRODUCTS INDUSTRY

In 1986 workers in the Pacific Northwest United States accepted wage concessions while their Canadian counterparts prevailed after a lengthy strike, This study examines the forces behind the divergence in bargaining trends between American and Canadian wood products workers. It finds that while structural and cyclical economic changes in the industry were similar in both countries, there were crucial institutional and environmental differences. These enhanced the bargaining power of the Canadian membership of the International Woodworkers of America compared to that of IWA Region 3 in Oregon and Washington.