Jobs and Income Lawmakers must reject plan to give corporations free pass to put workers and customer at risk The Legislature today is considering a bill — LD 1403, “An Act to Protect Maine Businesses, Nonprofits, Educational Institutions and Municipalities during the COVID-19 Pandemic” — that […] James Myall Posted May 13, 2021 Tags Coronavirus, Health Care, Jobs
Jobs and Income Bill to update definition of “tipped worker” would prevent low-wage trap for service workers Public laws regarding tipped workers are designed to ensure that workers who receive a substantial portion of their income through tips are given the same worker protections […] James Myall Posted May 4, 2021 Tags Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Wages
Health Care Dental care is health care. MaineCare should cover it. Our mouths are part of our bodies, so dental care is heath care. But a limited view of what counts as health care is leaving Mainers with […] James Myall Posted April 26, 2021 Tags Economic Security, Health Care, Inequality, Medicaid, Medicare, Poverty
Jobs and Income Anti-retaliation law would guarantee real rights for Maine workers State labor laws are critical to ensuring basic rights and dignity at the workplace. From the minimum wage to paid time off, accommodations for working mothers to laws mandating breaks […] James Myall Posted April 23, 2021 Tags Job Quality, Jobs, Paid Sick Days
Health Care Maine has a chance to correct injustice by expanding health care to New Mainers with low incomes All Mainers — no matter where they come from or what they look like — deserve access to affordable health care. MaineCare offers affordable health care coverage […] James Myall Posted April 16, 2021 Tags Coronavirus, Health Care, Inequality, Racial Equity
Maine’s Economy To advance racial equity, Maine’s Permanent Commission needs permanent resources Note: James Myall is a member of the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and Maine Tribal Populations All Mainers — regardless of race, ethnicity, […] James Myall Posted April 14, 2021 Tags Inequality, Racial Equity
Jobs and Income Increasing Maine’s minimum wage to $16 would boost wages for more than 350,000 Mainers Mainers’ wages have risen in recent years thanks in part to increases in the minimum wage approved by voters in 2016. Those increases have led to raises […] James Myall Posted April 12, 2021 Tags Coronavirus, Economic Security, Job Quality, Minimum Wage, Wages
Jobs and Income Anti-minimum wage bills would cut Mainers’ wages by $193 million, with big impact on essential workers A strong minimum wage supports Maine’s workers and creates an economy that is stronger for all of us. But year after year, opponents of the minimum wage […] James Myall Posted April 12, 2021 Tags Coronavirus, Economic Security, Job Quality, Minimum Wage, Wages
Jobs and Income Maine must end carveouts that take workers’ rights away from essential farmers and food producers Everyone deserves the same basic protections and rights on the job. Laws guaranteeing the minimum wage, overtime, and the right to form a union are foundational to creating […] James Myall Posted April 7, 2021 Tags Inequality, Job Quality, Minimum Wage, Racial Equity, Unions, Wages
Maine’s Economy Transformative “American Rescue Plan” will deliver $6 billion to Maine’s economy The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act recently approved by Congress will deliver roughly $6 billion to Maine’s economy, according to recent MECEP analysis. The top initiatives that will support Maine’s economic […] James Myall Posted April 2, 2021 Tags Children, Coronavirus, Economic Security, Economy, Education, EITC, Federal, Housing, Infrastructure, K-12 Education, SNAP, Taxes, Unemployment