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…
Gov. Janet Mills and labor unions have struck a deal that adds strong labor standards to a sweeping bill that will shape the buildout of Maine’s budding offshore wind industry. The deal potentially resolves a clash between the Democratic governor and labor groups after she vetoed a separate wind energy bill late last month that…
A Maine lawmaker has submitted legislation that would ban employers from retaliating against employees who refuse to attend anti-union meetings. If successful, Maine would become just the third state, following Oregon and Connecticut, to crack down on “captive audience” meetings during union drives. The tactic has been routine for decades. In the lead up to…
The Maine Labor Climate Council, a new coalition made up of a dozen unions from across the state representing a variety of different industries, won its first major victory in the Maine Legislature this week. The top priority bill for the council this session, LD 1969, introduced by Rep. Scott Cuddy (D-Winterport), went into law…
Advocates blasted Gov. Janet Mills’ veto of a bill that would have allowed farmworkers in Maine the opportunity to unionize, calling the decision to nix a measure to provide agricultural employees with the same rights other workers have long enjoyed “fundamentally immoral” and “an absolute disgrace.” As Beacon previously reported, the bill — LD 151…
In a year that saw a wave of strikes erupt around the U.S. and hard-fought unionization campaigns within some of the biggest companies in the world, Maine workers also made headlines. Among the major national labor stories this year was when nearly 2,000 nurses at Maine Medical Center unionized the state’s largest private employer, MaineHealth,…
Following a year that put a spotlight on issues with the state’s unemployment benefit structure, the Maine House and Senate have passed a bill to make a series of changes that advocates say will strengthen and modernize the system. The legislation, LD 1564, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Eloise Vitelli (D-Sagadahoc), was passed by the…
Labor groups and environmentalists have not always seen eye-to-eye. Historically, when groups came together to stand against climate change or environmental degradation, labor unions — a reliable ally on many progressive causes — were often missing from those fights. “There’s ample history in Maine of paper mill workers and environmentalists being pitted against each other…
Progressive groups are praising a proposed spending plan by Gov. Janet Mills that would make investments into childcare, housing and infrastructure using $1 billion in federal money made available to Maine through the American Rescue Plan (ARP). While many details of the plan are still unclear, advocates offered initial praise for some of the key…
Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau joined a coalition of advocacy organizations on Tuesday for a press event organized to call attention to the state’s growing economic inequality and the need for a more fair tax code. The coalition of 23 organizations announced the launch of Mainers for Tax Fairness, which “will advocate on behalf of…