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Maine AFL-CIO

Legislative Scorecard

LD 1539 - Apprenticeship

(2023)

An Act to Promote a Diverse, More Experienced Construction Workforce & Ensure High-Quality Careers By Increasing Registered Apprenticeship Programs

LD 1539 bill text Maine AFL-CIO Supported

Sponsored by Representative Traci Gere

What is the bill?

When we invest public money in training programs, we should ensure they lead to careers with good wages and benefits and deliberately open opportunities to historically underrepresented populations. LD 1539 improves standards for publicly funded apprenticeship programs to ensure that Registered Apprentices are diverse and are fairly compensated upon graduation. This bill incentivizes registered apprenticeships to demonstrate a commitment to traditionally underrepresented populations including women, people of color and justice involved Mainers by meeting benchmarks for graduating and supporting these populations. It also requires Registered Apprenticeship programs to report their “total package value” which includes not only end wages, but the value of benefits like health and retirement.

What happened?

Enacted into law (Passed by the Legislature, Signed by Governor)

Votes

Senate

26 Pro-labor 8 Anti-labor

House

79 Pro-labor 64 Anti-labor