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MSEA-SEIU Local 1989
65 State Street
PO Box 1072
Augusta, ME 04332-1072
207-622-3151
1-800-452-8794

MAINE STATE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION

SEIU Local 1989



Jan. 27 -

Maine workers oppose LD 1725 taking away jobless benefits


 

Maine's Working Families Coalition, representing thousands of Mainers, is urging legislators to take a family- focused approach to a wide range of issues. Speakers on Jan. 27 spoke out against LD 1725, which would roll back jobless benefits.

 

Zack Keegan, at podium above, a recent college graduate who lost his temporary employment six months ago, described how he finally decided to apply for jobless benefits after half a year of a fruitless job search.

 

When I heard that there was a proposal that would weaken the unemployment insurance program, I was stunned," said Keegan. "The focus should be on creating jobs."

 

The coalition also opposes L.D. 309 discouraging working Mainers from engaging in collective bargaining; L.D. 1680 and L.D. 1693 making it more difficult for Mainers to find tax relief through the Circuit-breaker Program; and other attempts to weaken worker and consumer protections and rights, including L.D. 1207 (the DeCoster bill) and L.D. 1786 removing Maine's annual livable wage calculation.



Jan. 26 -


Maine's middle class under attack by corporate-funded, ultraconservative group


In its latest attack against Mainers trying to earn a livable wage, the heavily corporate-funded Maine Heritage Policy Center on Jan. 25 recommended unions be outlawed across America. The center further urged citizens be prohibited from joining these organizations and blacklisted.

 

"This is a clear and blatant attack on the First Amendment rights of all citizens in our nation," said Scott Austin, Vice President of the Maine State Employees Association, Local 1989 of the Service Employees International Union, which represents over 10,000 Maine workers. "Under the Maine Heritage Policy Center's dark vision for America, the government would prohibit membership in certain organizations. Freedom of association is the hallmark of our democracy."

 

Austin also noted that in Maine, public sector workers are already paid hourly wages substantially lower than their private sector counterparts for comparable work, even with benefits factored in. A recent labor market survey commissioned by the State Department of Administrative and Financial Services bears that out. The survey shows, for example, that State of Maine highway maintenance workers earn 21.6 percent less than their private sector counterparts. The survey, conducted by Crescendo Consulting of Portland, Maine, is available by clicking here.

 

"Maine's working families are still digging out from this Great Recession," added Austin. "If anything, they need a stronger, not weaker, voice in their wages, benefits, and working conditions. Mainers continue to descend on the state CareerCenters and community colleges in record numbers to strengthen their job skills or retrain for new careers. Our members are proud to provide them with the services they need."


Rank-and-file workers at the Maine Turnpike Authority (MTA) picketed MTA headquarters and held a sit-in during the MTA board meeting Jan. 19 to draw attention to their hard work and lack of a contract. The workers urged the MTA Board to recognize that rank-and-file workers aren't responsible for the mismanagement that resulted in the former executive director of the MTA pleading guilty to criminal charges last week. The workers carried signs saying "Don't punish MTA workers," "Respect Maine workers" and "Snow doesn't fall in shifts."


Jan. 23 -

Workers rally, stand up for quality services!


MSEA-SEIU members rallied Jan. 23 outside the state offices on Anthony Avenue, Augusta, in support of quality public services for everyone in Maine and fair contracts for those who provide those services. Many passersby waved and honked their horns and in support of the workers.


MSEA-SEIU Retirees standing up for all Maine workers!


Members of the MSEA-SEIU Retirees Steering Committee gathered in Augusta on January 17 to advocate for health and retirement security for all Maine workers.




Over 100 Maine workers converged on the State House Jan. 4 to urge legislators to OPPOSE three harmful legislative proposals. LD 1571 would take away rights from Maine workers by gutting protections under the Maine Workers' Compensation System. LD 309 would undermine the collective bargaining rights of Maine workers. LD 1725 would make it more difficult for Maine workers to access Unemployment Insurance even though Maine's Unemployment Insurance Trust is solvent and the average unemployed worker receives unemployment insurance of just $270 a week before taxes. The workers also talked with legislators about Gov. LePage's irresponsible proposal to take away healthcare from 65,000 Mainers. In addition, as shown in the photo at top, the workers used a wheelbarrow to deliver nearly 1,000 postcards from Mainers to Gov. LePage urging him to invest in jobs and to stop trying to stick Maine's middle class and unemployed workers with the bill for his tax breaks for the wealthy.

Photo slideshow here.


 


MSEA-SEIU member Melanie Collins, a member of our Kids First Chapter, testifies Dec. 16 against Gov. LePage's MaineCare proposal, which would eliminate childcare for scores of working families. "As a childcare provider, I say fully fund childcare subsidies so we can have parents working," she said.



MSEA-SEIU retiree member Pat Jones, who is a former state representative, testifies Dec. 16 against Gov. LePage's MaineCare proposal to eliminate dental care for thousands of Mainers. Hundreds of Mainers have testified against the Governor's plan to eliminate healthcare for 65,000 Mainers. His proposal would eliminate over 4,000 private, nonprofit jobs in Maine.

Stand up for the 65,000 Mainers whose healthcare is under attack by the Governor!

Sixty-five thousand Mainers stand to lose their healthcare under Gov. LePage's proposed "fix" decimating Maine's safety net. Because they would still end up in emergency rooms for treatment if the Governor gets his way, the costs of their healthcare would merely be shifted onto everyone else with insurance. The result? Premiums would go up. People with healthcare would end up paying more. Healthcare costs would go up, not down.

In addition to taking away healthcare from 65,000 Mainers, the Governor's proposed "fix" would cut $5 million in personnel costs from Maine DHHS by eliminating vacant positions and cut $500,000 in child care funding. The Governor has also proposed terminating Maine's Consumer-Directed Personal Assistance Services Program, which provides Maine people with direct-care services that help them live independently in their own homes. As such, the Governor's proposal would decimate the CD-PAS workforce at both Alpha One and Home Care for Maine.

Although no layoffs at Maine DHHS are proposed, the Governor's proposed "fix" threatens countless private, nonprofit jobs in Maine. Instead of eliminating jobs in Maine, the Governor should be working to protect and create jobs.

At the Maine State House on Dec. 14, hundreds of Mainers rallied told legislators that Gov. LePage's extreme proposals would hurt thousands of working families, the elderly, people with disabilities, the poor and children alike while also killing more than 4,400 jobs."

The proposals presented by Gov. LePage would hurt every community in Maine," said Ben Dudley of the Maine Can Do Better Coalition. "The impacts of this proposal would hurt Maine's economic recovery, and touch every family in the state, including those with private health insurance. Tens of thousands of people would lose health insurance, access to medicine and some could even lose their homes."

The Governor wants to cut over $220 million in state funding for MaineCare, the Fund for Healthy Maine, Head Start and other health programs. FMI go to the Maine Can Do Better Coalition website.

Related links:

Instead of respecting workers' rights, Gov. LePage is still trying to take them away. His irresponsible legislation known as LD 309 is coming back before state legislators in January. Call your State Senator and State Representative now through Dec. 18. Urge them to oppose LD 309. Click here for their contact information.

With
LD 309, Gov. LePage is trying to force Maine workers who belong to unions to pay the entire cost of the representational and collective bargaining services that nonunion members are entitled to under federal and state law. Everyone who has union representation benefits from the contracts and the representational services that unions are required to provide, so it's only fair that everyone in a bargaining unit pays their share of those expenses. Call your State Senator and State Representative right away. Urge them to oppose LD 309. Click here for their contact information.


Together, we can defend the rights of all Maine workers. Call your State Senator and State Representative right away.
Urge them to oppose LD 309. Click here for their contact information.


Maine workers join in 'The People's Camp' on National Mall




On Wednesday, Dec. 7, MSEA-SEIU members sporting our "Building a Secure Future for Maine" banner marched with thousands of others in our nation's capital. The message: Congress needs to start representing the 99 pecent, not just the 1 percent.


Several MSEA-SEIU members joined Dec. 5-9 with thousands of Americans who took our Capitol by storm. They sent a message that Congress needs to represent the 99 percent, not just the 1 percent.

 

The situation for the 99 percent is dire. Nearly 14 million workers in the United States are without jobs and income inequality is at its worst since the 1920s. Unless Congress acts swiftly, federal unemployment insurance programs will expire Dec. 31 -- cutting off benefits to nearly 2 million jobless Americans in January alone, with more than 6 million cut off during the coming year. And while the middle class and working people are suffering, taxes for the 1 percent are at an all-time low.

 

From Dec. 5-9, unemployed and underemployed people, students, community activists, union members, healthcare advocates and occupiers ran The People's Camp on the National Mall. They told Congress that we will not stand for having our American Dream deferred, derailed or traded away any longer. From coast to coast, they gathered to "Take Back the Capitol."

 

By day, they showed up at Congressional hearings and the offices of K Street lobbyists. By night, they crashed in church auditoriums, union halls and in tents around the Capitol.



Print and post this sign: "We are the 99%"


Rally and Public Hearing on LD 309

attended by hundreds of workers opposing it!

The rally and public hearing on LD 309 brought forth hundreds of workers from both the public and private sectors opposing this harmful legislation. Organized workers from all levels recognized the dangers of and the damage that this legislation would do to workers and the collective bargaining process.Public testimony on the bill before the Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee lasted well into Thursday evening with 45 testifying against the bill and 10 in support of it. At a work session on June 6, the Committee voted to carry over LD 309 to January 2012.

 

 

Governor LePage's Counsel Dan Billings responds to question about New York City attorney Lou DiLorenzo's direct involvement with LD 309.




 From the Desk of President Ginette Rivard

 

 

Click here for President Rivard's column:
"This time, bring a friend to the Legislature"

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Latest News Stories and Feature Links

Preferred Hospital List from the Maine Division of Employee Health and Benefits effective Feb. 1, 2012

3,000 Pounds of Petitions to Recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker

Among the Wealthiest 1 Percent, Many Variations, The New York Times

MSEA-SEIU Area II Retirees Chapter sets meeting schedule for 2012

 

January 10: Legislative update: At our urging, state legislators on January 9 rejected two contracting-out proposals that would have diminished accountability in public services and threatened the quality of public services provided to Maine people.

Need jobs? Call on government, op-ed by Dimitri B. Papadimitriou, Bangor Daily News

 

Bangor City Council steps up to advocate for critical services at Dorothea Dix Psychiatric Center, Bangor Daily News

 

Maine Voices: Eliminating pension tax might not attract people LePage wants, op-ed by Jonathan Beal in the Portland Press Herald

 

House GOP extremists: No compassion for unemployed Americans

 

"Don't punish MTA employees," column by MSEA-SEIU member and toll collector Jay Colby in the Lewiston Sun Journal

 

Rank-and-file workers at the Maine Turnpike Authority: Don't blame us for 2013 toll increases!, column by MSEA-SEIU member Roy Anderson in the Portland Press Herald

 

Attention MSEA-SEIU members: Apply now for SEIU scholarships!

 

Summary of Health Insurance Changes Resulting from Maine State Biennial Budget


Photo slideshow: Maine workers and retired workers talk to state legislators in support of a responsible state budget that is fair to everyone, and against legislation that would weaken the voice of all Maine workers

"The right to freeload is not the Maine way," The Times Record editorial

"Ending collective bargaining rights paves way for labor strife," Bangor Daily News editorial