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MSEA Public Employees Ratify New Contracts With Improvements to Wages & Benefits

Andy O’Brien
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Members of the Maine Service Employees Association (MSEA-SEIU 1989) in several public sector workplaces have been negotiating pay raises and better benefits in recent contracts. Below are some of the highlights.

City of Auburn Employees

Workers for the City of Auburn ratified a new three-year contract on July 6. Under the terms of the agreement, members will receive pay raises as follows:

  • First year: $1-per-hour, across-the-board pay raise for all positions plus a 2 percent performance bonus on anniversary of hire date;
  • Second year: 2.5 percent across-the-board pay raise and a 2.5% performance bonus on anniversary of hire date;
  • Third year: 2.5 percent across-the-board pay raise and a 2 percent performance bonus on anniversary of hire date.

The agreement also raises the clothing allowance and makes improvements to language relating to the Severe Weather Policy, Lactation Policy; Funeral/Bereavement Leave; and Holiday Pay/Schedule.

Judicial Branch Employees

Judicial Branch employees ratified their tentative agreement on a new, two-year contract July 14. It provides a wage increase of 8 percent in the first year and 3 percent in the second year. It strengthens the childcare and eldercare reimbursement by raising it from $500 to $1,000 per employee and making it available to all Judicial Branch bargaining unit members. The agreement also provides four weeks of paid parental leave, a $1.50 mentor stipend, overtime for employees forced to work through lunch who are not able to leave early, and nursing-room contractual language.

City of Lewiston Employees

City of Lewiston staff bargaining ratified a three-year contract running from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2026. Contract highlights on wages:

  • First year: drop/add a step across all pay ranges (3 percent) plus a contract raise of 3 percent, for an effective salary increase on July 1, 2023, of 6 percent;
  • Second year: 4% salary increase effective July 1, 2024;
  • Third year: 4% salary increase effective July 1, 2025.

Lewiston Schools Staff
 

Lewiston Schools staff have ratified a new three-year contract. Economic highlights include:

  • First year: Maintained the existing $1-per-hour increase and secured a 4 percent pay raise;
  • Second year: 4 percent pay raise; also, anyone on pay grade G8 receives a step will receive their step and move to G9. For example: A person at pay grade G8 step 1-3 due to move to step 4-5 would be moved to pay Grade 9 step 4-5.
  • Third year: 4 percent pay raise.The new contract adds a 15-year step and the bargaining team also won back the 20-year step.
  • Adds Juneteenth, Eid al-Fitr and Eid ad-Adha as new holidays.

Maine Community College System Adjunct Faculty

Community College part-time faculty on July 14 reached a tentative agreement on a new two-year contract that runs from Jan. 1, 2023, through Dec. 31, 2024. It provides for a 4.5 percent pay raise each year as well as a longevity stipend and the establishment of a labor-management committee for adjuncts.

York County Government

Members of York County Government Local 1297 (MSEA) have ratified a one-year contract extension with pay raises. The pay rates on Pay Scale A that were to become effective July 1, 2023, contained a 3 percent increase; the county will now increase those pay rates on Pay Scale A by an additional 3 percent effective July 1, 2023, the result being that Pay Scale A is now increased by a total of 6 percent effective July 1, 2023. Pay Scale B will also be modified effective July 1, 2023, to create higher pay rates at each step level. Additionally, the county will increase the pay rates on Pay Scales A and B by 4 percent on July 1, 2024. The contract extensions is good through June 30, 2025.