Jobs and Income

New federal overtime rule will protect an extra 26,000 salaried Maine workers

At a glance: The federal department of labor is raising the threshold for low-paid salaried workers to be eligible for overtime pay, nearly doubling the number of […]

James Myall

Posted July 3, 2024

Tags Incomes, Job Quality, Jobs, Overtime, 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

Taxes and Budget

Lawmakers can do better for Maine workers, families and communities

Elected leaders in Maine strengthen our communities and address economic challenges through legislation. The major challenge facing Maine’s economy is the state’s plateauing workforce and to solve it we […]

Bangor Daily News

Posted May 22, 2024

Tags Budget, Direct Care Work, Economic Security, Incomes, Inequality, Job Quality, Jobs, K-12 Education, Minimum Wage, Racial Equity, Unemployment, 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

Taxes and Budget

Unfunded bills are unfinished work

The legislature has passed a supplemental budget, but its work for this year remains far from done. Both legislative chambers have approved dozens of bills and they […]

James Myall

Posted April 24, 2024

Tags Child Care, Direct Care Work, Education, Health Care, Higher Education, Job Quality, Minimum Wage, Overtime, Racial Equity, Wages

Taxes and Budget

What’s in the $430 million supplemental budget

On Monday, Governor Janet Mills signed into law a $430 million supplemental budget passed by the legislature that includes significant investments in pressing needs for Mainers, particularly […]

James Myall

Posted April 24, 2024

Tags Budget, Education, Housing, Medicare, Revenue, Seniors, SNAP, Wages

Jobs and Income

Gov. Mills vetoes 3 bills, including measure to set minimum wage for farmworkers

“After a year of deliberation, with all relevant stakeholders at the table agreeing farmworkers should be guaranteed at least the minimum wage, Gov. Mills still chose to […]

Portland Press Herald

Posted April 23, 2024

Tags Economic Security, Job Quality, Jobs, Wages

Jobs and Income

Labor advocates call Gov. Mills’ veto of her own farmworker wage bill ‘an embarrassment’

Arthur Phillips, policy analyst at the Maine Center for Economic Policy who served on the minimum wage committee, said Mills “has reaffirmed farmworkers’ second-class status in Maine’s […]

Maine Morning Star

Posted April 23, 2024

Tags Economic Security, Job Quality, Jobs, Wages

Taxes and Budget

Statement on supplemental budget

AUGUSTA, Maine — Garrett Martin, president & CEO at the Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP), released the following statement in reaction to the budget approved by […]

Posted April 23, 2024

Tags Budget, Child Care, Corporate Power, Direct Care Work, Tax Breaks, Tax Fairness, Taxes, Wages

Jobs and Income, Taxes and Budget

Maine lawmakers have signed off on worker protections — now they must fund their implementation

Through 2023 and 2024, the Maine legislature passed seven bills to improve Mainers’ rights at work — but these bills won’t become law unless the Appropriations and […]

James Myall

Posted April 12, 2024

Tags Budget, Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Wages

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New federal overtime rule will protect an extra 26,000 salaried Maine workers

Closing the Gap: Maine’s Direct Care Shortage and Solutions to Fix It

Lawmakers can do better for Maine workers, families and communities

Worker justice wins and losses in the 2024 legislative session

Unfunded bills are unfinished work

What’s in the $430 million supplemental budget

Gov. Mills vetoes 3 bills, including measure to set minimum wage for farmworkers

Labor advocates call Gov. Mills’ veto of her own farmworker wage bill ‘an embarrassment’

Statement on supplemental budget

Maine lawmakers have signed off on worker protections — now they must fund their implementation