Maine AFL-CIO Announces Early Endorsements for Maine Legislature
The Maine AFL-CIO Executive Board has so far endorsed four union candidates for the Maine Senate and six union candidates for the Maine House of Representatives. They answered our candidate surveys, which were evaluated by our Legislative and Political Committee made up of union members. The committee then recommended these candidates to our Executive Board, which voted to endorse them. All ten candidates have pledged to fight for fair wages, better working conditions and affordable health care, child care and housing. Our endorsed Senate candidates include:
Senator Mike Tipping (D-Penobscot) of Orono for Senate District 8, which includes part of Penobscot County. Senator Tippingserves as Senate Chair on the Legislature’s Labor Committee where he has been a staunch advocate for working Mainers. He has a 100 percent pro-labor score on our Working Families Legislative Scorecard. He also won the Maine AFL-CIO Edie Beaulieu Legislative Award last year for leading on labor issues in Augusta, including sponsoring legislation to provide retirement security to mental health workers at state psychiatric facilities. Mike is also a member of the Maine Service Employees Association (MSEA-SEIU 1989). Read more about Senator Tipping.
Mike Scott (IAFF 797) for Senate District 20, which comprises the City of Auburn and the towns of Durham, New Gloucester, and Poland. Mike Scott has spent a distinguished 30-year career as a firefighter, dedicating his life to protecting his community and mentoring the next generation of first responders. A long-time union leader, Mike is a retired member of IAFF 797, President of the Professional Firefighters of Maine and a member of the Maine AFL-CIO executive board. He has been a strong advocate for firefighter safety, fair labor practices, and the well-being of his fellow workers. Read more about Mike here.
Rep. Amy Roeder (D-Bangor) for Senate District 9, which comprises Bangor and Hermon. Rep. Roeder is serving her third term in the Maine House where she is the co-chair of the Labor Committee. A member of three unions — the Part Time Faculty Association - AFT 4593, the Actors Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA — Roeder is an actor, teacher and an administrator. She has been a strong advocate for fair wages, safe working conditions and stronger collective bargaining rights in the Maine Legislation. She has a 100 percent pro-labor score on our Working Families Legislative Scorecard and won the Maine AFL-CIO's 2022 Edie Beaulieu Award for supporting workers in building our power, centering working-class issues as a legislator and speaking passionately about what unions have meant to her personally. She is also a 2022 recipient of the Maine AFL-CIO’s Edie Beaulieu Legislative Award. Read more about Rep. Roeder here and here.
Mark Vigliotta (IAM) for Senate District 33, which includes the towns of Lebanon, Sanford, Waterboro and Alfred. MarkVigliotta was a production machinery mechanic at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and a proud member of IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) Local 836. He has served as President of the Portsmouth Metal Trades Council, which represents about 3,000 blue collar trades workers at the shipyard. In addition, he served as IAM District Lodge 4 President and President of the Maine State Council of Machinists. Currently, he works as an associate organizer for the IAM. Vigliotta has spent considerable time lobbying members of Congress on Capitol Hill and state legislators in Augusta for pro-labor policies. His priorities include addressing the affordability crisis and improve wages and working conditions for Maine people. Read more about Mark.
Our endorsed union House candidates include:
Rep. Matt Beck (D-So. Portland) for House District 122, which includes part of South Portland. Rep. Beck is an IBEW 1837 retiree who has been an outstanding pro-labor legislator. He has worked hard to pass legislation to boost wages and improve economic security for working class Mainers. He has earned a 100 percent pro-labor score on the Maine AFL-CIO’s Working Families Legislative Scorecard.
Jason J. Shedlock (LIUNA) for House District 120, which includes part of South Portland. Jason holds many hats in the labor movement. He is a regional organizer of the Laborers’ International Union of North America’s (LIUNA) New England Organizing Fund, the President of the Maine Building and Construction Trades Council and President of the Southern Maine Labor Council. He also serves on the Maine AFL-CIO executive board. We know he will always put working class Mainers' needs first in the Maine Legislature! Learn more about Jason.
Robin Upton-Sukeforth for House District 56, including Litchfield, Monmouth, and Wales. Robin worked as a Maine Services Employees Association district field rep for over seven years. Before that, she worked for over 25 years as a disability claims adjudicator for the state of Maine. Robin has spent her career fighting for working class people and will continue that work in the Maine Legislature. Learn more about Robin.
Rep. Kilton Webb (D-Durham) for House District 98, including Bowdoin, Durham, Lisbon, Pownal and Topsham. Kilton is a member of IBEW 567 and has been a leader on labor issues in Augusta. Rep. Webb has a 100 percent lifetime score on the Maine AFL-CIO’s Working Families Legislative Scorecard. As a legislator, Webb focuses on strengthening prevailing wage standards, supporting clean energy infrastructure, and promoting union apprenticeship programs.
Steven Butterfield for Maine House District 55, including Hallowell, Manchester and West Gardiner. Steven worked for 42 years as the Maine Service Employees Association's Researcher, Negotiator and IT Director and a 22-year veteran of the Maine Army National Guard. His priorities are workers’ rights, retiree rights, properly funding education and lowering health care costs. Learn more about Steven Butterfield.