SOCI 235 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Maurice River, Piece Work
26 Nov 2017
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Cutting technology use on public lands in quebec. *manual includes use of chainsaws: there are some broad background characteristics of logging work. Terrain has a substantial effect on labour productivity. It also affects the feasibility of mechanized cutting; a person carrying a chain saw can go where a cutting vehicle can"t. The more cutting vehicles are used in cutting, the larger the investment in machinery. That is, the more important machine maintenance issues become. Some work can be closely observed; other work takes place out in the bush. The former can be supervised and paid with hourly rates, the later cannot be supervised and requires piece rates. Cutting machine operators were an exception to this. Where a large investment in machinery is required the question is posed: who makes that investment: mercure produced a case study of work organization and labour relations in the harvesting division of a forest products company.
