More than 150 Maine Workers Attend Labor Lobby Day; Share Labor Priorities with Legislators
On Thursday more than 150 workers convened at the Statehouse in Augusta to talk with legislators about key worker issues as part of the Maine AFL-CIO’s annual Labor Lobby Day. Maine workers also released their 2025 Working Families Legislative Agenda, which includes legislation to support federal workers, require safe staffing in hospitals, raise pay and improve staffing for state employees, support child care programs and improve retirement security and staffing in our state psychiatric hospitals among other priorities.
“We stand here at a time when our democratic institutions are under an unprecedented assault,”said Maine AFL-CIO President Cynthia Phinney. “Last week, there were more labor actions in Maine than in recent memory as working people took to the streets, met with elected officials, and went on the air to fight against cuts to our Veterans Administration, the Postal Service, schools and Social Security. When working people get organized and band together we are the most effective check on the corporate greed that is raising prices, dismantling our democracy, and shredding critical services. This country was built and keeps running by the sweat and labor of working people. The billionaires currently managing our government in Washington DC need to remember that.”
Senate President Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland) and House Speaker Ryan Fecteau (D-Biddeford) spoke as guests at our morning orientation where union members learned about key labor priorities and how to lobby our legislators. Daughtry took aim at the effort by Congressional leaders to gut programs like Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy.
“The federal government cannot balance their tax cuts for the 1 percent and tech billionaires who are not even from this country on the backs of working people,” said Daughtry. “Even if they won’t listen to us, one thing I love about the Maine Legislature is they listen to all of you. You know how powerful your voice is.”
Speaker Fecteau noted that budget proposals from Republicans in Augusta and Washington DC are designed to make the lives of working class people harder while increasing profits for the rich and powerful. He quipped that he had considered submitting a proposal to require CEOs of corporations receiving tax credits to submit five bullet points detailing detailing what they did every week, similar to Elon Musk’s demands on federal employees.
Instead, he has submitted to address the housing crisis in Maine by raising the real estate transfer tax on real estate transactions over $1 million. The revenue would be used for multi-family housing, affordable home ownership, rural rental affordable housing and eliminating the real estate transfer tax for first-time home buyers. Fecteau noted that recently an oceanside Kennebunk home sold for a record $12 million in 90 minutes.
“More and more and more for those who have it all and less and less and less a meager slice of the pie,” he said. “During the course of this legislative session we’re going to do our part to make sure that those who have continued to climb the ladder, pay their fair share.”
At a morning press conference in the State House Hall of Flags, workers from Riverview Psychiatric Center in Augusta called on the Legislature to pass LD 579, sponsored by Sen. Mike Tipping, which would boost recruitment and retention of mental health workers at state psychiatric facilities by adding them to the same retirement plan with firefighters, law enforcement and corrections officers.
“At Riverview, we have the biggest turn over rate of qualified staff that I have ever seen. We are lucky if we keep one mental health worker or acute specialist a full six months. Most are gone after two months,” said Abe Snowman, a Riverview worker and member of AFSCME Local 1814.“As a result of unsafe staffing many people get injured during their time there. Myself, personally, I have been injured on the job fifteen times and thirteen of those times were caused by patients either going after staff or a peer, or involved in a hands on hold. LD 579 would provide something to offer new employees as a reason to stay.”
Workers also urged lawmakers to pass LD 874, An Act to Provide Relief to Federal or State Employees Affected by a Federal Government or State Government Shutdown, Rep. Kristi Mathieson (D - Kittery), which would protect federal and state employees by allowing them to apply for state-backed no-interest loans when they are furloughed or required to work without pay during a federal or state shutdown.
“When political dysfunction in Washington shuts down the government, it’s the workers who are made to suffer as they are furloughed or forced to work without pay,” said Alana Schaeffer, President of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 788 and President of the Metal Trades Council at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. “Workers and our families do not deserve to struggle to make house payments or pay bills because of political brinksmanship in Washington. Allowing federal and state employees to apply for state-backed, no-interest loans when they are furloughed or required to work without pay during a government shutdown will provide a necessary cushion for these dedicated civil servants and their families.”
Workers also built support for LD 1281, “An Act to Address the Safety of Nurses and Improve Patient Care by Enacting the Maine Quality Care Act,” sponsored by Senator (and RN) Stacy Brenner (D - Scarborough), which would protect patients and improve health care by setting minimum registered nurse-to-patient staffing ratios.
“This year, we are already facing strong opposition from the hospital industry and its co-conspirators in the legislature. Once again, we expect that multiple high-priced lobbying firms will be coming for nurses and patients as we move this bill forward,” said Erin Oberson, an RN at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor and member of the Maine State Nurses Association. “And as we do that, I just want to remind everyone here that passing this nurse-to-patient ratios bill into law is the single best way that nurses and other members of our community can stand together to keep each other safe in our hospitals.”
In addition, the agenda includes three bills to improve staffing, the delivery of services and state employee morale and job quality by closing the pay gap for state employees. These bills include:
- LD 1265 (Rep. Deqa Dhalac), An Act Regarding a Public Employee Market Study — This bill ensures that the upcoming compensation and classification study is fair, independent and gets the State the needed data to improve its system.
- LR 1588 (Rep. David Rollins), An Act to Modify Provisions of the State Civil Service System Governing Employee Recruitment and Retention — This bill modernizes the recruitment and retention stipend process in state government so that Maine can make progress to attract employees and address chronic understaffing.
- LR 1670 (Sen. Mike Tipping), An Act to Create a State Employee Compensation Stabilization Fund — This bill provides the funds needed - $165 million - to close the state employee pay gap, pay state workers fairly and improve services and staffing
“Our members have been warning the Legislature and the Governor for years that we can’t keep short changing our dedicated public servants and expect that are roads will be properly cleared in the winter, that our state psychiatric facilities will be safe and that our island communities continue to be served,” said Mark Brunton, President of the Maine Service Employees Association (MSEA-SEIU 1989). "Two state-commissioned studies have shown that state workers are underpaid by 15 percent, 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. It is past time to close the pay gap. We urge the Legislature and the Governor to pass these bills so that our members can continue to provide the quality services Mainers expect and deserve.”
Union members are also calling on lawmakers to oppose budget cuts to child care affordability programs for working people.
“We are pleased that the Governor’s proposed cuts to childcare worker wage subsidies, the Childcare Employment Award, and HeadStart were not included in the continuing services budget that the Legislature passed last week,” said Kevin Ready, a member of the American Postal Workers Union Local 458. “However, we know this is not the end of budget negotiations for the session. We strongly urge legislators to not cut any funding from child care and work to strengthen the Childcare Affordability Program so more working working class families can qualify.”
In the afternoon, workers attended work shops and panel discussions on supporting federal workers, protecting union jobs in clean energy, running for office and building trades issues.