BULL GANG EXPERIENCES (Part 2)

Last month I briefly described my father’s and my times long ago in bull gangs at the pulp and paper mill in West Monroe. The old Brown Paper Mill of my father’s early employment was called Olinkraft, Plant #31, when I worked there in the late 1960s. There were many smaller Olinkraft operations or plants there as this facility had expanded over time into different and specialized forest products.

The bull gangs in regional paper mills functioned as employment "filters" for those hoping for career advancement in these mills. The work could be particularly intense and physically demanding, particularly during emergencies and plant shutdowns.

I recall a shutdown when I once worked continuously over a regular eight-hour day shift, through that night, and during the next eight-hour day shift. That was a bit of a crisis situation and partially motivated by my interest in getting both overtime pay and more chances for the elevated pay that some gang members got when doing jackhammering or rigging activities. Even as a low-ranking gang member, those duties opened occasionally when the more senior gang members were needed during shutdowns as helpers for welding, pipefitting, and other mill activities.

Most young men in these gangs were high school graduates from the local area. Some were in their late 20s or 30s with previous work experience, but others were younger and had been employed only at the mill. There were usually 20 or so total gang members when I was working there two summers, and more often these men worked within smaller groups of five to eight on assigned tasks. A senior mill employee called the head “pusher” would receive calls for gang assistance, and he would decide which subgroup of the overall gang would get the task.

There was a definite set of social norms established within the paper mill bull gangs. It reflected the typical views and interests of young men from the surrounding area who had been working closely together and didn’t interact that directly with other mill employees. Like many other male groups or gangs, there was somewhat of a bravado and competitive spirit in bull gang interactions.

Senior gang members quickly communicated and enforced norms. Working too hard or quickly on tasks was as bad as working too easily or slowly. Nicknames were occasionally given to certain gang members. One guy in the gang got the label of “Gator,” because he was usually dragging the tail end of his group as they walked to and completed tasks.

Accidents and lost time were a major concern for plant managers, and employee rewards, like holiday turkeys, were given when records were set for extended periods with no major accidents. There were a few gang members, though, who were more risk oriented than others. I recall vividly one gang member who would brag and back up his claims in demonstrating how he could climb almost any obstacle no matter the height or difficulty in placing a chain hoist. He once exhibited his balancing skills to others in the gang by needlessly tight-rope walking a pipe running about 25 feet long and linking two buildings at a height of about 25 feet.

Several times bull gangers bit off more than they could chew. On one occasion, a senior member agreed to grapple out on a steel I-beam overhanging a very high ledge in the mill (perhaps 150-200 feet tall) to position a chain hoist that could raise items from the ground. Climbing atop this I-beam wasn’t difficult, but I doubt few in the gang would have volunteered to hug and inch out on that exposed beam while carrying at least a 15 lb. chain hoist. This time the volunteer froze and would not move himself farther out the beam to complete the task or move backward to safety. It took another person to go out after him on the beam, grab the initial volunteer by the back of his belt, and slowly inch him away from danger.

Bull gangers and maintenance workers were expected now and then to creep down into dark tanks through narrow openings to inspect and clear them. There were times though when individuals would have claustrophobic experiences, become paralyzed, and be unable initially to climb back out of these enclosures. After a while usually, the person would gain the confidence to complete the task or to simply get out of that confinement. If not, it took pleading or special measures (ropes, etc.) to get them extracted.

It took me a week or two both summers that I worked in the bull gang at the paper mill to overcome the stiffness and soreness that came from my work shifts. I thought that I was in good physical shape prior to joining the bull gang, but the subgroup pusher would expect us to do a little more than others to prove ourselves.

Two college students temporarily joining an established bull gang of mostly older guys should have expected some gang member resentment or pushback, but the first weeks were more of a test than anything negative. Could we fit in, communicate, and perform in ways that didn’t alienate the others? The other college student admitted his discomfort in this bull gang role but didn’t quit that summer. He found a different job the next summer though.

I probably learned as much in my summers in the paper mill bull gang as I have in any other job since then. I would have worked a third summer there, but Louisiana Power & Light in 1969 offered me summer work in microwave station maintenance that paid as much or more. I hope that some college students today have opportunities for valuable and different life learning experiences that I had prior to finishing college.