LD 1854: Close the Pay Gap and Finish & Fund Classification & Compensation Study for State Employees

The State of Maine has been suffering a serious staffing shortage with one in six positions remaining open. As the Bangor Daily News reported, these vacancies are especially prevalent in critical areas like child welfare, road maintenance and repair and public safety. 

Time and again, state workers have pointed out that low pay is a major reason for the state's lack of recruitment and retention of qualified workers. In fact, state workers in Maine are paid 15 percent less on average compared to their public and private sector counterparts throughout New England are paid for comparable work. Meanwhile, the state still hasn't honored its commitment to complete a study of it compensation and classification system, which hasn't been updated since the late 1970s.

On Friday, May 12, at 9:35am, the State and Local Government Committee will hold a public hearing for LD 1854, which require the state to finish and fund a classification and compensation study begun in 2019. LD 1854 establishes a schedule for future compensation studies and classification reviews — and it provides a mechanism to hold the state accountable. If the state fails to complete the study and fix the pay gap by July 1, 2024, the measure would require the state to give a 5 percent across-the-board pay increase to all state workers.