State Workers File Prohibited Practice Complaint with Maine Labor Relations Board Against Mills Administration

In their 11th month of working under expired contracts, state workers who serve on the contract-bargaining team representing 9,000 workers for Maine State Government last week released a fact finders’ report on their protracted negotiations with the administration of Governor Janet Mills for new, two-year contracts. The fact finders are recommending the two sides agree to pay raises of 2.5% in the first year and 3% in the second year plus a $1,250 signing bonus for each employee.

During a news conference in the Maine State House Hall of Flags, a few feet away from the Governor’s office, Maine Service Employees Association (MSEA-SEIU 1989) members who serve on the bargaining team called on the administration to join them in accepting the fact finders’ recommendation on wages.

“I can assure you that nobody on our bargaining team is happy with the fact finders’ recommendation of pay raises of 2.5% and 3%, and a $1,250 signing bonus. We know we are all worth more than that. We know that every state worker is worth more than that. But we also recognize the need to move forward in these negotiations, so we’re willing to accept their recommendation on wages,” said Rebekah Koroski of Naples, who works for the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and serves on the bargaining team as a member of the MSEA-SEIU Local 1989.

Kelly J. Smith of Augusta, who serves with Koroski on the bargaining team, called the failure of the Mills administration so far to accept the fact finders’ recommendation on wages, which was made last month, but kept confidential by law until recently, beyond disappointing.

“What makes this especially difficult is knowing that independent fact-finders reviewed the evidence from both sides and issued recommendations in May,” said Smith, who works for Maine Revenue Services. “Those recommendations recognized many of the concerns that state employees have been raising throughout this process. Yet here we are, still waiting for meaningful progress.”

MSEA-SEIU President Mark Brunton said state law required the union’s bargaining team to keep the report confidential for 30 days before releasing it. “That period was supposed to be used to reach a settlement. It wasn't — and the reason it wasn't is simple: the administration has been negotiating in bad faith,” he said.

Brunton said the consequences of low pay for state workers is hundreds of vacancies throughout state government and real hardships for state workers and their families. “Some of our members — full-time state employees — are on MaineCare. Some are on SNAP. They are working full-time for the State of Maine and still can't feed their families without public assistance. The State of Maine should be setting the standard for what a living wage looks like. Instead, it is racing to the bottom,” he said.

According to Brunton, in post-fact finding mediation, the Mills administration gave a wage offer that was $800 to $1,000 lower per worker than its previous offer. “They are regressing. They are moving backward. That is not good faith bargaining. That is bad faith, plain and simple."

In light of the State’s regressive proposal on wages – valued at roughly $10 million less than the prior “last, best, and final” offer – MSEA has filed a Prohibited Practice Complaint with the Maine Labor Relations Board. This is the eighth PPC that MSEA has had to file since 2019.

Rebekah Koroski, one of the bargaining team members for MSEA-SEIU Local 1989, said the Mills administration needs to start showing state workers the respect they have earned by accepting the fact finders’ recommendations on wages. “That really is a low bar for this administration to cross, but at least it would be a start,” Koroski said.