Over the next few weeks, you will be voting on scores of bills

Over the next few weeks, you will be voting on scores of bills. A few of these bills have profound impacts on labor
organizations in this state. Specifically, there are four bills we strongly believe are designed to inhibit the ability for
working people to come together and have a collective voice at work. Collective bargaining works well in Maine for both
employers and employees, and we should maintain the balanced, fair system we have now.
We strongly encourage every legislator to please vote against these bills:
LD 404: An Act to Prohibit the Collection of Service Fees by the State
This bill would make it illegal for public sector union members to pay their dues through payroll deduction, even though
members negotiate this through collective bargaining with their employers. Payroll deduction is an efficient, 21 st century
method of making payments and it is how most union members choose to pay their dues. This bill does nothing to
prevent workers from contributing to other organizations via payroll deduction such as the United Way or other charitable
organizations. The bill is solely designed to single out unions and will not survive a court challenge. Please vote ought
not to pass on LD 404.
LD 489: An Act to Ensure the Right to Work with Payment of Dues or Fees to a Labor Union as a Condition of
Employment
This bill would make Maine a so-called Right to Work state for both private and public sector workers. Federal law states
clearly that nobody can be forced to join a union. Currently, union members can negotiate with employers that all
represented employees pay the cost of negotiation and representation, since unions have an obligation to represent all
workers in a bargaining unit. This bill interferes with collective bargaining and with the employer/worker labor
relationship. Please vote ought not to pass on LD 489.
LD 1010: An Act to Afford Public Employers Flexibility to Achieve Efficiency and Quality in Management
This bill comes from disgruntled managers in Scarborough who lost an arbitration case. The bill, as written, would
prohibit a public sector union from negotiating over subcontracting of certain job classes. The school board in
Scarborough attempted to subcontract certain positions in schools and an arbitrator ruled against them citing the
arbitrators do not believe “that the evidence supports a conclusion that subcontracting will be beneficial.” If passed, any
public sector work could be subcontracted without having to even discuss the matter with the represented employees.
Please vote ought not to pass on LD 1010.
LD 1319: An Act to Ensure that Maine State Employee Wages and Benefits Serve a Public Service
This bill would make it illegal for any public employee to conduct any labor/management activity during work time. This
bill is unworkable. Many managers appreciate a prompt fix to problems as they arise and would prefer to deal with issues
immediately rather than waiting until after work to address concerns or emergency issues that arise during the course of a
work day. Please vote ought not to pass on LD 1319.
The four bills are critical bills for the labor organizations in the state. They are all designed to hinder the ability for
working people to come together and have a voice on the job through effective and efficient organizations.
Please feel free to call or email if we can be helpful in any way.
Matt Schlobohm
Maine AFL-CIO
207.576.3572
matt@maineaflcio.org
John Kosinski
Maine Education Association
207.458.1312
jkosinski@maineea.org
Maryanne Turowski
Maine State Employees Association
207.215.3325
maryanne.turowski@mseaseiu.org