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Workers Win Raises & $259,000 Grievance Settlement

Andy O’Brien
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IN THIS EDITION:

  • Maine Postal Workers Win $259,000 Grievance Settlement
  • Unions Endorse Strimling for Portland Mayor
  • News Guild of Maine Wins Improvements in New Contract
  • Workers Get Skilled Up & Pumped Up for Medicare for All
  • Talking Union at the Common Ground Fair

Postal Workers to Receive $259,000 Grievance Settlement

Postal workers working at the Southern Maine Processing and Distribution Center in Portland will each receive a $1000 check thanks to a $259,000 class action grievance settlement negotiated by APWU Local 458. The grievances, which date back to 2014, state that the Post Office improperly had clerks take on management duties outside of contractual limitations.“They’re not staffing management properly so they’re just letting people fill in indefinitely and we don’t condone that,” said APWU 458 President Scott Adams. "If they go beyond the prescribed time limits, it is considered bargaining unit work."Adams said that grievances filed for the Local were held pending a decision at the national level. The national decision ruled in favor of the union two years ago, but the union had to chase down the result and force the agency to negotiate a settlement because management never addressed the resolve.“We went back and said, ‘listen, there’s the answer here, but you didn’t settle,’” said Adams. “It took a while, but it was several cases and we were able to put them together and come up with a decent number.”As a result of the union’s persistence, both longtime and new Clerk Craft employees in the Portland Processing and Distribution Center will each receive a check. In addition, postal workers in some installations in Maine who are represented by the American Postal Workers Union will also be receiving an additional $166 each as part of a $14.5 million national settlement with APWU and the Mail Handlers Union related to improperly assigning jobs. Members in the same installations that belong to the National Postal Mail Handlers Union will receive a similar settlement for that national case.

Unions Endorse Strimling for Portland Mayor

The Maine AFL-CIO has joined Portland Firefighters Local 740, the Southern Maine Labor Council, the Maine Lobstering Union IAM Local 207, the Maine Building Trades Council, the International Longshoremen’s Association Local 861 and many other unions in support of Portland Mayor Ethan Strimling's reelection.

In a press conference in Lincoln Park last week, workers cited the mayor’s strong record of supporting workers’ rights, paid sick days, raising wages, responsible contracting, a working waterfront and more funding for education. Chris Thomson, President of the Portland firefighters, said Strimling has strongly supported firefighters throughout the budget process and fought against cuts to the department.

“We are not a group of developers; we do not have piles of money or give large donations to campaigns. We are just workers trying to have a voice,” said Thomson. “Ethan has been there to support us. Now we are here to use our voice in support of him.”

News Guild Wins Raises & Paid Leave in New Contract

Members of the News Guild of Maine, TNG-CWA Local 31128 have ratified a two-year contract with Maine Today Media Acquisitions, owner of the Portland Press Herald. Guild members voted overwhelmingly to ratify the new contract on Sept. 23, after nearly a year of hard bargaining with MTM.

The new contract includes:

  • Improved wages (2%, 1%)
  • Six-weeks paid maternity leave, five days paid paternity and parental leave
  • Higher near-goal commission for advertising salespeople
  • Protection of seniority and job security
  • Commitment to professional development
  • Open channels of dialogue between Guild members and management

"In a challenging business environment for local newspapers, the Guild stood together and fought for our first real wage increase in more than seven years," said News Guild of Maine President Pete McGuire. "Our members believe in the power of local journalism and this contract helps ensure we can continue reporting important stories that matter to the people of Maine."

The News Guild of Maine has about 140 members and represents all departments in the Portland Press Herald, including newsroom, advertising, distribution, administration and maintenance.

Workers Get Pumped Up for Medicare for All at Trainings

[caption caption="Workers at the Medicare for All Train the Trainers workshop in Portland last Friday." align="center"][/caption]

The working class movement for Medicare for All is growing! Union members and our allies from across the state turned out last week for two Medicare for All “Train the Trainers” workshops in Brewer and Portland. Members of the Maine State Nurses Association/NNU helped lead the trainings and we were fortunate to have Omid Mohamadi from National Nurses United to present an overview of the crisis in health care and the challenges it poses for union members.

Attendees gained key skills in how to lead a presentation, answer difficult questions and have one on one conversations. Members were fired up and ready to go back to their own unions to lead a presentation on health care issues at unions meetings. If you are interested in having a presentation at your union meeting email Sarah, sarah@maineaflcio.org.

Talking Union at the Common Ground Fair

[caption caption="Nick Pacquet, Alex Lee and George Howe of IBEW 1253 at the Maine AFL-CIO booth" align="center"][/caption]

Union members were well represented at the Common Ground Fair in Unity last month. Members of IBEW 1253 and 567, USW, UFCW 1445 and Food and Medicine had hundreds of conversations with fair goers about the power of collective action, pro-worker legislation, how to organize a union, Medicare for All and more. On Sunday afternoon, Maine AFL-CIO President Cynthia Phinney also led a sing-a-long of labor songs.