PORTAGE (AP) – Loggers and truckers involved in a strike against Irving Woodlands in Maine voted Friday to continue their work stoppage.

“We are still united,” Dean Plourde, spokesman for the International Loggers Association, said after the 40-5 vote to continue the strike.

The loggers and truckers stopped working 12 days ago. The truckers refused to sign a new contract offered by Irving after their old one expired Dec. 31. Many loggers, who usually negotiate new contracts with Canadian-owned Irving in the spring, agreed to stop work to remain in solidarity with the truckers.

Some of the loggers and truckers have gone to work for other timberland owners, but the work stoppage targeted at Irving is continuing.

Chuck Gadzik, operations manager for J.D. Irving’s Maine Woodlands, said Friday the company is concerned that the work stoppage will effect supplies.

“We are disappointed, and I am not sure where that leaves things,” Gadzik said. “Our harvest activity at this time is about 50 percent of normal, and we need to find a way to bring this back.”

Truckers grew angry on Friday when they heard a report that some truckers were offered a new hauling contract at $1 more per ton than was offered to others.

Gadzik said that may be possible because Irving offers different rates for different services, but he couldn’t confirm the offer.

The contractors are seeking a 25 percent to 30 percent increase in logging and trucking rates and a surcharge payment increase when diesel-fuel costs rise above $1.45 per gallon.

On Jan. 9, Irving offered 12 percent increase in logging rates, a 14 percent increase in off-highway trucking rates and a 9 percent increase for highway trucking rates, as well as a fuel surcharge payment when diesel fuel reaches $1.55 per gallon. The offer includes required contractor participation in a program that seeks greater efficiencies.

Irving Woodlands supplies wood fiber to about 30 mills. The company had 27 logging contractors and 40 to 50 trucking contractors before the work stoppage in the Maine woods.

About 80 percent of loggers had returned or wanted to return to the job, but trucking is lagging, Gadzik said.

The amount of round wood in mill yards is adequate, but the logs aren’t getting shipped out of the woods to the mills, he said.

State officials are concerned that some lumber and paper mills are already running low on wood because of wet conditions that hampered cutting operations last fall.

The International Loggers Association, formed Dec. 26 by loggers and truckers, is also seeking support for legislation that would extend collective bargaining rights to certain forest product workers.

The group voted unanimously to continue the loggers association, even though the company does not recognize it.

AP-ES-01-17-04 1213EST