Against objections from frontline workers, the LePage administration knowingly rolled out a flawed “new” Unemployment Insurance system. This change resulted in massive problems with long waits, inability to file and workers not getting their benefits. LD 1770 would have improved staffing, guaranteed people access to alternative means to file for unemployment and ensured the ability to retroactively apply for unemployment if they could not file under the broken system. Governor LePage vetoed this bill. The Senate overrode the veto 32-2, but House Republicans upheld the Governor’s veto.

The Downeast Correctional Facility was a highly successful model for getting inmates back on their feet and working in the community. It transformed hundreds of people’s lives. It also provided good jobs in Washington County. Sadly, Governor LePage illegally closed the facility in the middle of the night, laying off workers and transferring inmates. The hardworking staff – members of AFSCME 2968 and MSEA SEIU 1989 – and the broader community ran a strong campaign to keep DCF open. LD 1704 would have continued funding to keep the facility open. The bill passed the Legislature and was vetoed by the Governor. The House fell five votes short of an override of the Governor’s veto.

In November of 2017, Mainers voted decisively by referendum to expand access to Medicaid (Mainecare) to 70,000 people. Medicaid expansion is the law, and the law is clear that Mainers were eligible for coverage beginning on July 2, 2018. LD 837 provided administrative funding to ensure that 70,000 Mainers get the healthcare they need. The bill was vetoed by the Governor. House Republicans blocked the override of the veto.

The Maine AFL-CIO supported the 2016 minimum wage referendum because the costs of housing, food and other necessities have gone up for years while wages have remained stagnant. In November of 2016 more than 420,000 Mainers – 56% of voters – voted to raise wages for working people. These hard fought wage increases have been under attack ever since. The voter approved initiative that will raise the minimum wage to $12 by 2020 is working as intended. LD 1757 and LD 1913 were attempts to rollback Maine’s minimum wage law by delaying scheduled wage increases and eliminating an annual cost of living adjustment. LD 1757 was defeated. LD 1913 will be defeated as well.

The Maine AFL-CIO supported the 2016 minimum wage referendum because the costs of housing, food and other necessities have gone up for years while wages have remained stagnant. In November of 2016 more than 420,000 Mainers – 56% of voters – voted to raise wages for working people. These hard fought wage increases have been under attack ever since. The voter approved initiative that will raise the minimum wage to $12 by 2020 is working as intended. LD 1757 and LD 1913 were attempts to rollback Maine’s minimum wage law by delaying scheduled wage increases and eliminating an annual cost of living adjustment. LD 1757 was defeated. LD 1913 will be defeated as well.

LD 1769 was an attempt to deny overtime pay to thousands of Maine workers. Over the last 40 years, overtime protections have been eroded and have not been updated. The federal overtime salary threshold for salaried workers is set at only $23,660 – some workers earning more than that can be denied overtime even if they work 60 or 70 hours per week. Maine has a stronger overtime salary threshold than the federal standard. This bill sought to lower Maine’s overtime threshold. This bill was defeated by a party line vote in the Maine House.

Over 100 years ago, the Maine Federation of Labor and the broader labor movement spent two decades working to pass the citizen initiative and referendum so that ordinary people could have a direct voice in their democracy. Since then, and especially in recent years, Maine’s referendum process has served as a vehicle for ordinary people to address concerns when the Legislature fails to act. LD 31 would have changed the referendum signature collection process to make it more difficult for grassroots groups to get a referendum question on the ballot by requiring a set number of signatures from each Congressional district. This bill is part of a larger nationwide effort to undermine the referendum process. LD 31 passed the Senate and failed in the House.

So called “Right to Work” laws are designed to weaken unions and drive down wages and working conditions. Under such laws, workers can contribute nothing to a union, yet gain all the benefits and full representation. Currently in Maine, in the private sector unions and employers can negotiate contracts where all workers who benefit from a collective bargaining agreement share in the costs of bargaining and representation. Under federal law, no worker is required to join a union, but unions have a duty of fair representation to represent all workers in a bargaining unit, whether they are members of not. LD 1880 would make it illegal for employers and employees to agree that all workers who benefit from a collective bargaining agreement share in the costs. The House defeated this bill largely along party lines.

This bill provides that a veteran who is a member of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MEPERs) and who has been awarded a disability pension under the Veterans Administration (VA) for a service connected disability is qualified for disability retirement benefits under the MEPERs system. Currently, there is often a long and difficult lag to get the needed disability retirement benefits through MEPERS. This is a small, important fix that will help veterans and has no fiscal cost.

The Maine AFL-CIO opposes measures designed to make voting more difficult including bills like this one to require voters to present valid photographic ID each time they vote. A significant number of Mainers, including the elderly, poor people and immigrants, do not have the required ID. Voting is a fundamental part of our democracy. The expansion of voting rights to most Americans and the removal of barriers to citizens’ voter participation – from literacy tests to poll taxes – has been a step forward for our democracy. Photo ID is a step in the wrong direction.

This bill would remove barriers to employment by implementing fair chance hiring laws to ensure employers conduct a job interview first to evaluate whether an individual is qualified for employment. The impact of a criminal record on a person’s life can be devastating. Most employers require job applicants to check a box disclosing whether they have been arrested or convicted of a crime, and many employers won’t consider a candidate who checks the box. When legislation like LD 1566 becomes law, investigation and analysis of any arrest or conviction record is done after an applicant is determined to be qualified for employment. This gives people a better chance to get hired and improve their life. This bill passed the Legislature but was vetoed by the Governor.

Clean Elections limits the ability of corporate money to influence elections and helps more working class people to run for office. A technical error in the form of a typo threatened Clean Elections funding for the 2018 election. A group of conservative legislators attempted to undermine the November elections by blocking a simple fix to this typo. LD 1912 was the attempt to fix this problem, which was blocked by a Republicans in the Maine House. Fortunately, the Maine Ethics Commission intervened and released the Clean Elections funds.