Jobs and Income Brief: The state of labor organizing in Maine At a glance: Labor unions play an essential role in delivering better wages, benefits, and working conditions not just for their members, but for all workers Women […] MECEP Posted August 28, 2023 Tags Job Quality, Jobs, Unions
Jobs and Income Mainers are vetting workplaces more before accepting job offers Corporate profits in Maine are rising faster than labor costs, suggesting that businesses are keeping profits rather than passing them along in worker wages, James Myall, a […] Bangor Daily News Posted August 25, 2023 Tags Employment, Job Quality, Jobs
Jobs and Income Commentary: With Maine governor’s veto, farmworkers were again denied their basic economic rights This session’s bill represented a small step toward justice for those who do the back-breaking work that fuels our agricultural sector and feeds our state. These workers […] Portland Press Herald Posted August 15, 2023 Tags Economic Security, Fair Scheduling, Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Wages
Jobs and Income Worker wins and setbacks in the 2023 legislative sessions In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been steady gains in the overall output of Maine’s economy and workforce, employment levels, and wages for people […] James Myall Posted July 31, 2023 Tags Budget, Direct Care Work, Economic Security, Fair Scheduling, Inequality, Job Quality, Jobs, Overtime, Paid Family and Medical Leave, Wages
Declines in Maine’s legacy jobs drag on Joe Biden’s manufacturing boom Maine is unusual among U.S. states in that job losses in older industries, especially at paper mills, canceled out gains at manufacturers in newer growth industries, James […] Bangor Daily News Posted July 27, 2023 Tags Federal, Jobs
Jobs and Income Legislature sustains Mills’ veto of farmworker minimum wage bill Several of the bill’s supporters, including the Maine Center for Economic Policy and the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, highlighted that this was Mills’ second veto of legislation […] Portland Press Herald Posted July 25, 2023 Tags Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Racial Equity
Jobs and Income Janet Mills vetoes bill to cover farmworkers under Maine’s minimum wage The Maine AFL-CIO, a coalition of labor unions, said the veto “carries on the historical stain and stench of exploitation and racial exclusion.” The liberal Maine Center […] Bangor Daily News Posted July 20, 2023 Tags Inequality, Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Wages
Taxes and Budget Workers made big gains this session, but some important policies were deferred “I think paid family leave is definitely one of the biggest wins for workers and it will make a huge difference for many people,” said James Myall, […] Beacon Posted July 20, 2023 Tags Budget, Job Quality, Jobs, Paid Family and Medical Leave
Jobs and Income ‘Embarrassing and shameful’: Advocates blast Mills’ veto of farmworker rights bill “Continuing the current system of sub-minimum wages for farmworkers means that about one quarter of Maine’s agricultural workers will continue to live in poverty,” said Arthur Phillips, […] Beacon Posted July 20, 2023 Tags Incomes, Inequality, Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Racial Equity, Wages
Jobs and Income MECEP statement on veto of bill to advance farmworker rights Maine Center for Economic Policy is disappointed at Governor Janet Mills’ decision to veto LD 398, “An Act to Make Agricultural Workers and Other Related Workers Employees […] Posted July 19, 2023 Tags Economic Security, Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Overtime, Unions