About 60 union members from all over Maine attended our 2022 Legislative Conference on Wednesday where they learned about pro-labor legislation in Augusta and Washington DC, met with our elected officials and urged them to support our priority bills. House Speaker Ryan Fecteau (CWA Local 2336), and Assistant Senate Leader Mattie Daughtry, the new co-chair of the Labor and Housing Committee, kicked off the event with some inspiring words.
Fecteau discussed the value of unions, both as a union member and coming from a long line of Biddeford textile workers. Senator Daughtry let members know that she will always make time to listen to their concerns about key labor bills in Augusta.
"We are here to talk and listen to you whether you're giving us a call, meeting us at the State House or meeting us on the street," said Daughtry. "As the new chair of Labor and Housing, I want you to know that my physical door at the State House and my virtual door are always open and it's important that you continue to rise up and use your voices.”
Attendees learned from other union members how to testify before committees and lobby their legislators. They then went to break out rooms to call their legislators on a range of bills that will strengthen labor education in Maine (LD 1816), strengthen labor standards and create more union jobs in renewable energy (LD 1969), bolster public pensions, support first responders and other workers dealing with job-related PTSD (1879) and more. In the afternoon, they met separately with Senate President Troy Jackson (IAM/IUPAT/UAW), House Speaker Fecteau, House Appropriations chair Rep. Theresa Pierce (D-Falmouth) and other union members who serve as lawmakers in Augusta.