Dr. Michael Hillard

From the early 20th century until the 1960s, Maine led the nation in paper production. Then the industry slid toward failure. What happened? Dr. Michael Hillard’s accessible and fascinating new book, Shredding Paper, uncovers the history behind the rise and fall of Maine’s mighty paper industry. Through a retelling of labor relations and worker experiences, Hillard paints a grim portrait of the doomed paper industry that centers blue-collar workers and families.

Michael Hillard is Professor of Economics at the University of Southern Maine. He has published widely in the fields of labor relations, labor and working class history, and the political economy of labor and capitalism. Dr. Hillard regularly provides expert testimony in Maine on macroeconomics and employment issues affecting working people.

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