Bill to Support Workers Who Are Military Veterans Signed into Law

Governor Janet Mills has signed into law a measure to provide accurate information about resources available for military veterans. LD 1762, sponsored by Senate President Troy Jackson, would require employers with fifty employees or more to display a poster developed by the Maine Department of Labor containing information on veterans' benefits and services. During the public hearing union members who are military veterans from Laborers 327, Machinists Local S6, USW and IBEW 104 testified in support of the measure.

"This legislation is very important because you have so many veterans who come out of the military into the workforce. When you come out of the military you're a badass and you can take care of anything on your own. Two years down the road, you've got lasting problems from the military and then at that point you have no idea where to go or where to turn," said Brandt McCollett, chairman of the IAM Local S6 Veteran’s Committee

Tim Burgess, a veteran and Labor Representative for IBEW 104, testified that initially veterans are just focusing on getting home and it can take years for veterans until they have a veteran-related issue they need to seek information or help about.

"At this point in time, those phone numbers, sheets of paper and business cards with website addresses on them are now buried at the bottom of an olive-green sea bag or rucksack," said Burgess. "It is possible to find these items, but not in a timely manner when you may be staring down an immediate crisis. A large percentage of veteran’s crises are triggered in the workplace, for a variety of reasons. Having this poster in a conspicuous place at work reminds the Veteran that there is always someone to call."

The Department of Labor poster would include information about the state’s Bureau of Veteran’s Services; substance abuse and mental health treatment; education, workforce and training resources; tax benefits; legal services, the US Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Crisis Line and more.

BIW shipbuilder Brandt McCollett — an Army Veteran and the Chair of IAM Local S6’s Veterans Committee — said the legislation will save the lives of veterans who suffer because they are unaware of the resources they earned in service.

The idea for this bill comes from the United Steelworkers Veterans Committee. They worked to pass similar legislation in New York and worked with us to bring the idea to Maine.