Jobs and Income Farmworker Rights — An Explainer Print Who are Maine’s farmworkers? The people who milk our cows, rake our blueberries, harvest our potatoes, and do the hard work to power Maine’s agricultural sector […] Arthur Phillips Posted August 29, 2024 Tags Explainer, Inequality, Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Poverty, Racial Equity, Unions, Wages
Health Care, Jobs and Income Closing the Gap: Maine’s Direct Care Shortage and Solutions to Fix It Download the PDF version full report Summary Stories Today in Maine, thousands of older adults, people with disabilities, and individuals with behavioral health challenges do not receive […] Arthur Phillips Posted June 17, 2024 Tags Caregiving, Direct Care Work, Economic Security, Employment, Health Care, Job Quality, Jobs, Wages
Jobs and Income, Taxes and Budget Worker justice wins and losses in the 2024 legislative session The second session of Maine’s 131st legislature ended Friday, as resistance from Governor Mills and inaction in the House left many important bills to die. While lawmakers […] Arthur Phillips Posted May 15, 2024 Tags Budget, Incomes, Inequality, Job Quality, Jobs, Wages
Health Care Proposed changes to Medicare Savings Program would impact 45,000 older Mainers’ eligibility for health care benefits Last year, Governor Mills signed a budget into law that expanded eligibility to the Medicare Savings Program (MSP), a profound investment in helping older Mainers pay for […] Arthur Phillips Posted February 29, 2024 Tags Health Care, Medicare, Seniors
Jobs and Income New approaches needed to protect Maine workers’ rights All Maine workers are entitled to the wages they earn and protection from other labor law violations. However, recent data and economic research show how woefully inadequate […] Arthur Phillips Posted February 15, 2024 Tags Job Quality, Jobs
Jobs and Income, Maine’s Economy Child care legislation to benefit Maine workers and families Recent years have taught us child care workers are truly essential. Without them, other workers are forced to leave work to care for young children, costing them […] Arthur Phillips Posted May 9, 2023 Tags Child Care, Children, Economic Security, Economy, Employment, Incomes, Job Quality, Jobs
Jobs and Income Farmworkers deserve the same rights as all workers Workers are the engine of the economy, and they all deserve dignity, respect, and to be able to take care of themselves and their loved ones. Yet, […] Arthur Phillips Posted May 2, 2023 Tags Economic Security, Job Quality, Jobs, Racial Equity, Unions, Wages
Jobs and Income Rent-a-bank schemes would undercut Maine’s borrower protections Maine has a long tradition of consumer protection, drawing on a shared commitment to transparency and fairness for borrowers. Lawmakers recently extended Maine’s track record by shoring […] Arthur Phillips Posted April 10, 2023 Tags Consumer Protection, Economic Security, Predatory Lending, Racial Equity
Maine’s Economy Rising prices ease but more work remains to improve economic security for Mainers Price increases significantly moderated in the second half of 2022 For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the monthly US Consumer Price Index (CPI) declined […] Arthur Phillips Posted January 13, 2023 Tags Economy, Inflation
Maine’s Economy, Taxes and Budget Federal Reserve data shows improved financial wellbeing, particularly among parents, in 2021 The expanded Child Tax Credit, which put more money into parents’ pockets and dramatically reduced childhood poverty, expired at the end of last year Last month, the […] Arthur Phillips Posted June 14, 2022 Tags Child Tax Credit, Children, Economic Security, Federal, Food Insecurity