Treetop Forest Products
TREETOP FOREST PRODUCTS
Treetop Forest Products Inc. is a sawmill operation in Oregon that is owned by a major forest products company but operates independently of headquarters. It was built 30 years ago and completely updated with new machinery 5 years ago. Treetop receives raw logs from the area for cutting a:q.d planing into building-grade lumber, mostly 2by-4 and 2-by-6 pieces of standard lengths. Higher grade logs leave Treetop's sawmill department in finished form and are sent directly to the packaging department. The remaining 40 percent of sawmill output are cuts from lower grade logs, requiring further work by the planing department. Treetop has a general manager, 16 supervisors and support staff, and 180 unionized employees. The unionized employees are paid an hourly rate specified in the collective bargaining agreement, whereas management and support staff are paid a monthly salary. The mill is divided into six operating departments: boom, sawmill; planer, packaging, shipping, and maintenance. The sawmill, boom, and packaging departments operate a morning shift starting at 6 A.M.and an afternoon shift starting at 2 P.M.Employees in these departments rotate shifts every two weeks. The planer and shipping departments operate only morning shifts. Maintenance employees work the ~ght shift (starting cat 10 P.M.). Each department" except packaging, has a supervisor on every work shift. The planer supervisor is responsible for the packaging department on the morning shift, and the sawmill supervisor is responsible for the packaging department on the afternoon shift. However, the packaging operation is housed in a separate building from the other departments, so supervisors seldom visit the packaging department. This is particularly true for the afternoon shift, because the sawmill supervisor is the farthest distance from the packaging building. Packaging Quality
I
Ninety percent of Treetop's product is sold on the international- market. through Westboard
Treetop Forest Products Inc. is a sawmill operation in Oregon that is owned by a major forest products company but operates independently of headquarters. It was built 30 years ago and completely updated with new machinery 5 years ago. Treetop receives raw logs from the area for cutting a:q.d planing into building-grade lumber, mostly 2by-4 and 2-by-6 pieces of standard lengths. Higher grade logs leave Treetop's sawmill department in finished form and are sent directly to the packaging department. The remaining 40 percent of sawmill output are cuts from lower grade logs, requiring further work by the planing department. Treetop has a general manager, 16 supervisors and support staff, and 180 unionized employees. The unionized employees are paid an hourly rate specified in the collective bargaining agreement, whereas management and support staff are paid a monthly salary. The mill is divided into six operating departments: boom, sawmill; planer, packaging, shipping, and maintenance. The sawmill, boom, and packaging departments operate a morning shift starting at 6 A.M.and an afternoon shift starting at 2 P.M.Employees in these departments rotate shifts every two weeks. The planer and shipping departments operate only morning shifts. Maintenance employees work the ~ght shift (starting cat 10 P.M.). Each department" except packaging, has a supervisor on every work shift. The planer supervisor is responsible for the packaging department on the morning shift, and the sawmill supervisor is responsible for the packaging department on the afternoon shift. However, the packaging operation is housed in a separate building from the other departments, so supervisors seldom visit the packaging department. This is particularly true for the afternoon shift, because the sawmill supervisor is the farthest distance from the packaging building. Packaging Quality
I
Ninety percent of Treetop's product is sold on the international- market. through Westboard