The process of mechanization in the forest industry of Newfoundland : an analysis of technological change and worker resistance to change

Curran, John P. (1971) The process of mechanization in the forest industry of Newfoundland : an analysis of technological change and worker resistance to change. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

This study attempts to outline the process and product of technological change in the forest industry of Newfoundland. The material is presented in three parts; the first deals with the traditional logging system, the second traces the process of mechanization, and the third examines the overall mechanized logging system. -- The section dealing with the traditional logging system traces the origins of logging during the sawmilling era of the late nineteenth century and the subsequent development of large international paper companies during the first half of the twentieth century. It includes a statistical breakdown of those workers who depended solely on logging as a source of cash income, as well as an examination of those who participated in logging through occupational pluralism. A review of the physical technology, the work group activity, the organization, and the logging phases are also included. -- The second portion traces the process of mechanization and presents an itemized account of the different technological innovations, the period when each was introduced, by whom, and why. A typology of technological change and worker resistance to change is also developed. -- The final section examines each item in the mechanization chain from the point of view of the individual logger and attempts to determine which items he found acceptable and why. A statistical breakdown of the number of loggers replaced by new technology is included. The place of unionism in the overall mechanization process is also examined.

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