IN THIS EDITION
- UNION BUSTING ALERT! Support Portland Museum of Art (PMA) Workers
- Firefighters Form Group to Advocate for Women’s Issues
- Laborers Local 327 Seeking Experienced Workers
- Dick Rogers Retires as Business Manager of IBEW 1837
UNION BUSTING ALERT! Support Portland Museum of Art Workers
[caption caption="The Portland Museum of Art in Portland." align="center"]
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Workers at the Portland Museum of Art (PMA) have come together to gain a collective voice at work and are organizing a union with UAW 2110, a union of museum and cultural workers. PMA workers have filed for a union election. Unfortunately, PMA management sent all workers a letter discouraging them from voting for the union. It's not the bosses' decision; it's workers' decision to form their own organization. Please take a minute to click here and send an e-mail to PMA management and encourage them to ensure that employees can form their union free from intimidation and pressure. If you don’t live in Portland be sure to delete the references to being a member of the Portland community.
To learn more about the organizing effort at PMA, check out this excellent piece in the Portland Phoenix.
Fire fighters Form Group to Advocate for Women’s Issues
[caption caption="Maine firefighters at the Women Firefighters' Health & Wellness Conference last fall." align="center"]
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Last fall, a group of women firefighters from Maine were inspired to begin advocating for policies that support women in their profession after attending the Women Firefighters' Health and Wellness Conference in Boston. Earlier this year, they formed the Women in the Fire Service Committee as part of the Professional Firefighters of Maine.
As Portland firefighter Caroline St. Pierre (IAFF 740) notes, firefighting has traditionally been a male dominated profession and with more and more women entering the field, they are finding that women’s health policies are often overlooked. St. Pierre, who chairs the committee, says the its first priority is to include women's cancers in Maine’s law that presumes that certain cancers in firefighters are related to their employment.
“I looked at the law and found that while it covers testicular cancer, women’s reproductive cancers like uterine and cervical cancers are not considered job related illnesses,” said St. Pierre. “Then the scope of our program grew from there as we thought about what else we can do to support women's health in our field.”
Since then, the committee has been meeting with state lawmakers, educating members and advocating for other issues such as creating department maternity policies and getting gear that properly fits and protects women’s bodies. In the past several months, the committee has grown considerably with 65 active participants out of a total of 108 IAFF women members in the state.
Laborers Local 327 Seeking Experienced Workers
Do you know a laborer seeking a good union job? Laborers Local 327 is looking for experienced laborers to join our union family immediately! Current open positions are in Portland, South Portland, Rockland and Skowhegan with more opening by the day. $18.55/hour, top notch health insurance, pension, annuity, and a good career. If interested please contact Lewis Overlock, Business Manager at 207- 458-7700 or loverlock327@gmail.com.
If your union workplace is hiring, please let us know and we’ll help get the word out!
Dick Rogers Retires as Business Manager of IBEW 1837
After a career that started as a summer helper at Central Maine Power in 1979 and ended with a 9-year stint as Business Manager and Financial Secretary for IBEW 1837, Dick Rogers has retired. IBEW 1837 Assistant Business Manager Tony Sapienza will assume the Local Union’s top job.
Dick will continue to consult with the Union for the time being and plans to help with some upcoming contract negotiations. When he’s not doing that, he looks forward to spending more time in the North Woods and with his family.
Please join us in congratulating Dick on his well-deserved retirement