IN THIS EDITION:
- LIUNA Praises Selection of Mayor Walsh for Labor Secretary
- Maine AFL-CIO Endorses Craig Hickman for Maine Senate District 14
- Solidarity Fund Created for Portland Museum of Art Union Workers
- FAM Launches COVID Solidarity Meal Program
- Waterville KVCAP Workers Ratify First Contract
- Tell President Biden to Strengthen the Postal Service
LIUNA Praises Selection of Mayor Walsh for Labor Secretary
[caption caption="Mayor Marty Walsh speaking to a Boston Carmen's Union in 2016." align="center"]
[/caption]President Joe Biden has chosen Boston Mayor Marty Walsh — a dues-paying, card-carrying member of Laborers’ Local Union 223 — to be the next U.S. Secretary of Labor. Prior to being elected mayor, Walsh worked his way up to become a leader of his local union and the head of the Boston Metropolitan Building Trades Council.
"We couldn't be more proud and excited for the nomination of Brother Walsh, himself a second generation, card-carrying member of the Laborers International Union of North America," stated Lewis Overlock, Business Manager of LIUNA Local 327. "I cannot overstate the importance of having someone at the helm of the US Department of Labor who understands what a union card means to a working family, and who also knows the very real dangers of those who try every day to strip us of our rights, safety and security."
Maine AFL-CIO Endorses Craig Hickman for Maine Senate District 14
The Maine AFL-CIO executive board has voted to endorse former State Representative Craig Hickman of Winthrop to represent Maine Senate District 14. Hickman is running to fill a seat left vacant by the resignation of Shenna Bellows, who was elected to serve as Maine’s Secretary of State. The special election for the seat will be held on Tuesday, March 9.
Hickman has a strong 95% pro-labor voting record and he has supported legislation to raise wages, strengthen collective bargaining rights and crack down on wage theft. He supports working people when they are forming unions and is a leader on agricultural policies to support Maine's small farmers and local food systems.
“Just as Abraham Lincoln did, I believe that labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration,” said Hickman. “I’m inspired by the enthusiastic support of labor for our campaign and, if elected to the Maine Senate, I will continue to fight for workers’ rights as individual rights to ensure working people can put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads.”
Senate District 14 includes Chelsea, Farmingdale, Gardiner, Hallowell, Manchester, Monmouth, Pittston, Randolph, Readfield, West Gardiner and Winthrop. If you are interested in volunteering with our labor program on this race email Adam: adam@maineaflcio.org
Solidarity Fund Created for Portland Museum of Art Union Workers
The organizing committee of the Portland Museum of Art Union (UAW 2110) has created a solidarity fund to support PMA workers who have been laid off due to the temporary closure of the museum. The museum announced in December that it would be closed to the public for the month of January in response to surging COVID-19 cases. As a result, on-call staff have not been given any hours to work this month. These workers were already financially struggling due to their low-wages and lack of benefits.
“Our museum did the right thing and closed to the public as COVID-19 cases shot up here in Maine,” the organizing committee wrote in a statement. “That unfortunately means a lot of front end staff don't have work in January. They'll be able to file for unemployment, but problems always arise.”
Click here to donate to the union's mutual aid fund. All funds donated will be used to help impacted PMA employees pay living expenses such as food, rent, medical expenses, and other essential needs. Currently, PMA workers are still waiting on the results of their National Labor Relations Board union election that was held last month.
FAM Launches Covid Solidarity Meal Program
[caption caption="Food & Medicine volunteer Sue Hoyt." align="center"]
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Food AND Medicine (FAM), in partnership with the Eastern Maine Labor Council, has been running and expanding a highly effective mutual aid campaign since the onset of the pandemic. After helping secure volunteers to lend a hand at local food pantries and doing phone tree outreach to community members, the two groups launched their "Covid Solidarity Meal Program."
FAM has so far raised over $25,000, all of which is spent at small local farms and restaurants, to provide meals for frontline workers and people experiencing hard times. FAM has prioritized working with unions — such as ATU 714 (bus drivers), AFT Local 5093 (Bangor healthcare workers) and IAM Local S6 (Bath Iron Workers on strike) — as well as low-income advocacy groups. To date, the program has distributed over 840 meals and has set a target to deliver another 2,250 meals in the first 3 months of 2021.
You can lend a hand in the following ways: contribute to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response fund,volunteer to help distribute meals, or connect FAM with potential recipient groups. To get involved, email FAM community organizer Darcy Cooke at darcy@foodandmedicine.org.
Waterville KVCAP Drivers (IAM S89) Ratify First Contract
Kennebec Valley Community Action Partners (KVCAP) drivers in Waterville have voted to ratify their first contract after voting overwhelmingly to form a union with the International Association of Machinists (IAM) Local S-89.
By joining the same bargaining unit as KVCAP drivers in Augusta the Waterville drivers will be enjoy the same benefits that the Augusta KVCAP drivers fought so hard for last year. The contract includes pay increases, improved leave of absence and winter weather day policies, signing bonuses, a grievance procedure, the establishment of a new safety committee and other important victories.
Tell President Biden to Strengthen the Postal Service
[caption caption="Protests against Postmaster Louis DeJoy's mail delaying policies last summer." align="center"]
[/caption]Throughout the pandemic, postal workers have delivered prescription drugs, mail-in ballots, Census forms and other critical mail under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. At the same time, Postmaster Louis DeJoy has sought to sabotage the USPS by ending overtime pay, removing mail sorting machines and other measures to undermine the agency’s capacity to perform its function. As long as DeJoy heads the agency, hundreds of thousands of good postal jobs are at risk.
Please sign this petition to tell President Joe Biden to fill the four vacancies of the Postal Board of Governors with members who will:
- Be fully committed to vibrant, public and universal postal services.
- Reject the Postmaster General’s agenda of cutting service and slowing the mail.
- Will champion emergency COVID-relief for the USPS.
- Will support an agenda of expanding the role of the USPS in serving our communities.
Filling the vacancies on the postal board is essential to strengthening the USPS, serving our communities and helping to heal our economy.