March of Thousands, photograph by Rene Brochu, Jay, Maine, August 1, 1987. Courtesy of Maine's Paper and Heritage Museum.
March of Thousands, photograph by Rene Brochu, Jay, Maine, August 1, 1987. Courtesy of Maine's Paper and Heritage Museum.
In a town of 5,000 people, the United Paperworkers International Union Local 14 and Local 246 of the International Brotherhood of Firemen and Oilers led 9,000 supporters in a march to the International Paper Company's Androscoggin Mill. The line of marchers stretched for a mile and a half. Blowing their horns, Jay's volunteer fire department led the march. Behind the fire trucks, protesters of all ages carried signs, sang union songs, and chanted. They protested the company's demands to eliminate jobs and lower workers' annual income through changes in work rules.