Full-time workers deserve the dignity of earning enough to make ends meet, and the current minimum wage is simply not enough. LD 611 would have increased the minimum wage to $9 in 2016 and indexed it to the cost of living so it would rise with inflation. Raising the minimum wage benefits the entire economy and is an important way to tackle unacceptable levels of inequality. This bill passed the House and Senate but was vetoed by Governor LePage.

LD 831 would have made Maine a so-called “Right to Work” state. Such bills are designed to weaken unions and undercut workers’ ability to negotiate a decent contract. Unions are required by law to represent all workers fairly and equally whether they join the union or not. This bill would have made it illegal for workers and their employer to agree that all workers share the costs of collective bargaining and representation. This would allow workers to gain all the benefits of representation without sharing in any of the costs. Such bills also tend to drive down wages, working conditions and overall living standards in states. This bill was defeated in both the House and Senate.

This bill is a version of so-called “Right to work” targeting public sector workers. It would have made it illegal for workers and their employer to agree that all workers share the costs of collective bargaining and representation. This is a clear attempt to weaken public sector unions and undermine collective bargaining rights. It was quickly defeated in the House and the Senate.

LD 1549 would have allowed commercial fishermen to travel through Maine waters with lobsters caught while dragging for groundfish and sell those lobsters outside of Maine. Current law prohibits the possession and landing of lobsters in Maine caught by groundfishermen while dragging. Maine’s lobstermen strongly opposed LD 1549 because dragging is an unsustainable way to harvest lobsters. Large offshore lobsters act as broodstock for the inshore trap fishery. Maine lobstermen have worked diligently to sustain the lobster stock over multiple generations. This bill would have unfairly undermined their efforts. Lobstermen came out in force to testify and lobby against “dragging” and were successful in changing the course of this bill. The bill was defeated with strong bipartisan opposition. It was a great grassroots victory for the newly formed Maine Lobstering Union (IMLU 207).

Workers’ Compensation systems were formed in a grand compromise-- employers would not be held responsible for workplace injuries or deaths, and in turn, injured workers would be provided with medical care and speedy compensation for on-the-job injuries. In 2012, the Legislature tipped the balance by significantly weakening Maine’s workers’ compensation laws, leaving seriously injured workers in jeopardy. LD 443 would have given injured workers the economic security they deserve and would have repealed some of the worst changes of the 2012 law. It was passed on party lines and then vetoed by Governor LePage.

The Maine AFL-CIO believes that healthcare is a human right and that no one should be denied that right. This bill would have enabled Maine to accept federal funds to extend or maintain Medicaid coverage for 70,000 low-income, working Mainers. In addition to ensuring that our friends, neighbors and families can access healthcare, the bill would also have helped lower costs for those who currently have health insurance. This bill passed the House and Senate with bipartisan votes but was ultimately vetoed by the Governor. Veto override efforts fell short. This was a major fight this Legislative session and will no doubt be back again for consideration in early 2014.

The Maine AFL-CIO supports access to affordable medicine and prescription drugs for everyone. LD 171 allows Maine citizens access to lower cost prescription drugs via companies like CanaRx, that act as a broker for the purchase of name brand prescription drugs from pharmacies located outside the U.S. Maine companies, the City of Portland and the State of Maine, have all successfully used CanaRx to keep their prescription costs down. In 2012, Attorney General William Schneider ruled that CanaRx could not be licensed in Maine. Enactment of LD 171 allows Mainers to purchase prescription pharmaceuticals from international pharmacies. This will make prescription drugs more affordable for thousands of Maine workers and their families and is estimated to save the State of Maine $3 million in prescription drug costs. This bill enjoyed strong bipartisan support and became law without Governor LePage’s signature.

Manufacturing in the U.S. has seen a sharp decline in recent decades, thanks to failed trade policy and companies moving production overseas. LD 890 would have required that the State of Maine spend taxpayer dollars on goods made in the USA when possible and cost-effective. This is a commonsense way to create jobs in the US and support the local economy. The Buy American bill had nearly unanimous bipartisan support but was vetoed by Governor LePage. After the veto, enough Republican Senators switched their votes to sustain the veto and defeat this bill.

Imagine losing your job through no fault of your own and then waiting weeks or months to begin collecting unemployment insurance. The stack of bills quickly gets higher, and your savings quickly get smaller. Some laid-off workers in Maine were waiting 6-7 weeks for an initial fact finding hearing to determine their eligibility for unemployment insurance. Maine sunk to 50th in the nation for response time to unemployment claims with non-monetary issues. LD 690 calls upon the Department of Labor to address this issue and shorten the length of time laid-off workers are waiting.

The rationale behind prevailing wage laws is that state and federal governments, as major purchasers of construction services, should not depress wages. Maine’s prevailing wage law applies to public construction projects like roads, sewers, bridges, etc., that are funded by taxpayer dollars. There is currently a loophole in Maine law that allows public school construction to escape prevailing wage requirements. LD 1150 would have required that Maine workers are paid a prevailing wage on all public works construction projects where the contract includes state funding, including public school construction. This would ensure the highest quality school construction and that public dollars support good wages and working standards. LD 1150 passed the House and Senate. Governor LePage indicated that he would veto the bill. This version of the bill ultimately never reached his desk.

It is unfair for a worker who loses their job through no fault of their own to have their unemployment insurance delayed simply because they had earned vacation pay on the books. In 2012, the Legislature passed a bill that holds earned vacation pay against a worker, delaying his or her unemployment insurance week-for-week for each week of vacation pay over four weeks. LD 1198 would have fixed this, so workers who have earned vacation pay on the books would not be penalized. The bill passed the House and Senate and was vetoed by Governor LePage.