Across the state school districts are facing tough decisions, including laying off teachers and staff, due to budget shortfalls caused by inflation and the ending of federal pandemic relief money. Gov. Paul LePage’s 2011 tax cuts for the rich eliminated millions of dollars in revenue and resulted in a tax code that treats someone earning over $61,600 the same as a millionaire. LD 1089 would have added a surcharge of 2% on the portion of a taxpayer’s Maine taxable income in excess of $1 million to fund public pre-K-12 education.

Certified pre-apprenticeships and registered apprenticeships are a tried and true method to get more people into the trades. The Maine AFL-CIO has had great success running our Union Construction Academy pre-apprenticeship program opening career pathways into the union construction trades to many more workers in Maine. LD 1117 strengthens standards for pre-apprenticeship in Maine and sets out a process to provide sustainable and durable funding to these programs.

Two state-commissioned studies have shown that state workers are underpaid by 15%, on average, compared to their public and private sector counterparts in Maine and New England. This has led to an exodus of workers from state government, which threatens the delivery of critical public services we all rely on, contributes to chronic understaffing and deteriorates morale in state employment. Roughly one in six state positions remain vacant. LD 1265 ensures that the upcoming compensation and classification study is fair, independent and gets the State the needed data to improve its system.

Sponsored by Rep. Matt Beck, an IBEW 1837 retiree, this bill directs the Maine Department of Labor, in partnership with the Governor’s Energy Office and departments with jurisdiction over energy matters, to develop a fact sheet and technical resource guide for businesses that clearly outlines state laws around wage and hour laws, labor standards, workforce requirements and benchmarks related to energy projects and programs.

LD 1270 will help ensure that the thousands of clean energy jobs created in Maine will be high-quality jobs that retain a well-trained, skilled workforce. The bill improves prevailing wages statewide by limiting the wide fluctuation in prevailing wages that often occurs in rural counties in Maine. It incentivizes project developers to enter into Project Labor Agreements (PLA) that utilize registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs. This new law requires all contractors, whether union or non-union, to pay rates that guarantee fair wages, including healthcare and retirement packages.

Roughly one in six state positions are vacant, largely due to insufficient pay. Chronic understaffing leads to a negative impact on the delivery of crucial public services and deteriorates morale in state employment, ultimately undermining working conditions and driving down wages for all workers across the board. This bill would create the State Employee Compensation Stabilization Fund to capture excess budget resources for the purpose of raising State Employee pay and closing the pay gap.

When law enforcement, corrections officers, dispatchers, firefighters and EMS personnel get post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the burden of proof is on the employer to prove that the condition is not work related. Otherwise, it is incredibly difficult, costly and time consuming for workers to prove which specific incident caused their PTSD when applying for workers’ compensation benefits. This so-called “rebuttable presumption” law was scheduled to sunset in 2025. LD 82 supports first responders with PTSD by making this temporary law permanent.

So called “right-to-work” laws are designed to weaken unions, drive down wages and allow workers to get the benefits of unions without paying dues. 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. LD 187 would have made it illegal for employers and employees to agree that all workers who benefit from a collective bargaining agreement share in the costs.

In harvesting the food we put on our tables everyday, farmworkers do some of the most valuable work in our society and they deserve dignity and fair wages. Farmworkers are currently excluded from critical labor laws like Maine’s minimum wage and overtime. LD 589 addressed wages for farmworkers by making them eligible for the state minimum wage and protecting farm workers’ right to take action in court if their wages are stolen. This bill was passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Mills.

This two-year budget passed during a time of uncertainty related to federal funding and provided important clarity on the state’s commitment to fully fund public services and avoid a state shutdown. This budget fully funded Revenue Sharing to municipalities, covered 55% of K-12 education costs, and effectively eliminated the possibility of a government shutdown.

Federal and State employees in Maine are the backbone of essential services, from providing health care, maintaining roads, providing public safety and protecting our most vulnerable to maintaining our Navy submarines and safeguarding aviation and infrastructure. LD 874 will provide financial support to state and federal workers who are forced to work without pay or furloughed during a government shutdown. The bill creates a loan guarantee program offering interest-free loans to help cover lost income for essential state and federal employees during government shutdowns.