AUGUSTA – On Friday, Gov. Janet T. Mills named the Honorable Michael Carpenter to the Maine Logging Dispute Resolution Board, an oversight board created under a new law sponsored by Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash. Carpenter will serve on the Board as a member representing logging contractors.

 “Mike Carpenter has dedicated his entire life to making sure folks get a fair shake – whether serving as Maine’s Attorney General, the Chair of the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee, or as a Guardian ad Litem. There is no doubt he will do the same as a member of the Maine Logging Dispute Resolution Board,” said President Jackson. “With his appointment to the Maine Logging Dispute Resolution Board, Maine logging contractors can be confident that their grievances will be taken seriously by someone who is trustworthy, experienced and familiar with the industry.”

 A decorated Vietnam veteran and practicing attorney, Carpenter has had an extensive career in public service. He spent 16 years in the Legislature, representing communities in Aroostook and Penobscot counties, and served as Maine’s Attorney General for four years. In 1983, Carpenter drafted legislation establishing the 15-day rule to ensure that logging contractors are paid fairly and in a timely manner for their load.

 The Maine Logging Dispute Resolution Board holds jurisdiction over forest landowners who own more than 50,000 acres of land and the independent contractors who harvest trees from that land for the landowner. The Board has the authority to decide disputes related to wage violations, payout amounts, contract violations, or disputes related to hiring. Information on how to file a complaint with the Board can be found here: www.maine.gov/mlrb/news/logging-dispute-resolution-board. 

The Maine Logging Dispute Resolution Board does not have authority over grievances brought forward by employees against an employer. Those complaints fall under the jurisdiction of the Maine Labor Relations Board.

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