BAILEYVILLE, Maine — Four Woodland Pulp workers on strike have been arrested Monday as contract negotiations stall between the company and unions representing the skilled tradesmen.
Police arrested the workers who were reportedly blocking the truck entrance to the Woodland Pulp plant.
Danny Loudermilk, who negotiates on behalf of the union, said he believes the arrests were motivated by the strike.
"The company owns the police department. And so every time we do something they don't like, they call the police chief," Loudermilk told NEWS CENTER Maine.
Maine Senate President Troy Jackson echoed the same sentiment when he arrived at the strike just after the workers were taken into custody.
"This is the third time I've been up here, and every time I'm up here, they use the cops in some way," Jackson said.
Woodland Pulp representative Brendan Wolf told NEWS CENTER Maine the company called the police simply because the law was being broken, not for anything related to the strike.
"Whenever myself or someone that works for me sees misconduct, i.e. blocking trucks, we just simply call law enforcement," Wolf said.
Baileyville Police Chief Bob Fitzsimmons says the picketers will likely be charged with obstructing a public way and criminal trespassing. While police responded quickly and made arrests on the picket line, Fitzsimmons says he doesn't view it fondly.
"I feel like [expletive]. Let's just put that bluntly," he said.
Still, with four workers arrested, the company is pushing on with its proposal to put specialized trades into generalist roles—the central reason the workers here went on strike more than one month ago.
As for the unions, they say they're undeterred by the arrests and the strike will continue.