As prices of everyday essentials like food, housing, and health care climb, the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to the minimum wage is one of our state’s most impactful laws to ensure workers with low wages aren’t left behind. A new analysis by Maine Center for Economic Policy finds the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to Maine’s…
The median market rent in Portland is $2,160. The one month full time take home pay for a minimum wage worker in Portland is about $2,108 (based on $15.50 an hour x 160 hours x .85, the expected take home pay after SS/MC/taxes). That leaves $52 for food, heat, health care, electricity, phone, laundry, transportation…
On Nov. 5, Portland residents will vote on a ballot initiative that would cut the wages of Portland workers, including those who live in surrounding towns, who have to work during a natural disaster or public health crisis. Currently, if the governor or Portland’s city manager declares an emergency due to a natural disaster or…
Arthur Philips of the Maine Center for Economic Policy joins Cate Blackford to discuss the results of their report on Maine’s direct care workforce. It’s not good. Ask a question or leave a comment for a future show at (207) 619-3182. Subscribe to the podcast feed using any podcasting app or subscribe on Apple Podcasts.
Gov. Janet Mills has again vetoed a bill that would have improved working conditions and wages for farmworkers, though this one was proposed by her own administration. LD 2273 would have made farmworkers eligible to earn the minimum wage, which is $14.15 per hour. Farmworkers in Maine currently make a sub-minimum wage of $7.25 per…
Marking the furthest any such legislation has gone in the Maine Legislature, the Maine Senate voted (22-13) on Wednesday to pass LD 1639. Known as The Maine Quality Care Act, the bill aims to address unsafe staffing levels in Maine hospitals by implementing minimum staffing requirements based on patient needs. The vote was hailed as…
Faith leaders in Maine are calling on lawmakers to pass a budget that makes record investments into housing, childcare, healthcare and other urgent needs at a time of a record revenue surplus. “Maine has been lucky to have leadership that plans for the future with care and intentionality, resulting in a completely full rainy day…
A bill supported by Gov. Janet Mills to make farmworkers subject to the state minimum wage would be a significant step toward rectifying a historical wrong, labor advocates say, but still would leave them as second-class workers in other regards. LD 2273, a bill introduced by House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross (D-Portland) on behalf of…
Maine lawmakers still have the opportunity to increase the minimum wage to $15 and enact protections for workers if they elect to include it in their budget. A bill, LD 1376, which would have raised the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour at the beginning of this year, was tabled after lawmakers failed to…
Imagine you are a financially stable parent. You are earning more than you spend every year. Your emergency cash account and your 401K are both fully funded. In fact, you even have a solid stock portfolio on top of your retirement, virtually ensuring that you and your partner can retire on schedule, while still leaving…