State of Maine Archives: on Jobs

Janet Mills: Goal: 100% of students have option of paid internships

Susan Collins: For Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act

Collins: The disproportionate impact of the pandemic on older Americans emphasizes the need for protections, especially against age discrimination. I cosponsored the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act, which would restore critical age discrimination protections and make it easier for older employees to prove that they are the victims of age discrimination in the workplace.

Sara Gideon: Co-sponsored bill to give unions access to public employees

Sara Gideon: Yes. Co-sponsored Maine House bill to require public employers to grant unions right to meet with and get information on employees. Endorsed by major Maine labor unions.

Susan Collins: No. Voted to advance President Trump's nomination of anti-union lawyer Eugene Scalia to head Department of Labor. Given lowest rating by AFL-CIO for record on labor rights.

Sara Gideon: Prioritize needs of small businesses; raise minimum wage

Sara will fight for Maine's jobs and economy by:
• Prioritizing the needs of small businesses in our economic recovery;
• Creating and expanding job training programs;
• Investing in infrastructure development and technological advancements;
• Raising the federal minimum wage;
• Ensuring that we have fair trade policies that help Maine's traditional industries, like logging and lobstering, which are essential to tens of thousands of jobs and to communities across the state.

Janet Mills: Scholarships & boosted retirement benefits for firefighters

Angus King: Protected jobs in forests & Bath Iron Works

Brakey: No. Says, "Government doesn't create jobs, the free market creates jobs."

King: Yes. Says has protected "thousands of jobs" at Bath Iron Works & helped bolster & diversify ME forest economy.

Ringelstein: Yes. Lays out 7-point plan to "reignite Maine's economy," including spending for infrastructure & broadband.

Angus King: Supports federal minimum wage increase; but not $15

Brakey: No. Will hurt the people it's intended to help.

King: Yes. Has long supported Federal increase. Not yet backing $15.

Ringelstein: Yes. Increase to $15/hour & tie to inflation.

Betsy Sweet: Supports $15 minimum wage and strong unions

Support the unions' right to thrive. Unions are an important safeguard for workers. As Governor, I will re-open the negotiations between workers and state government and not make employees have to choose between a strong union and a well-deserved raise. I also support responsible contracting for all state funds.

Eric Brakey: Oppose increasing minimum wage; it takes out the bottom rung

Q: Do you support or oppose increasing Maine's minimum wage?

Eric Brakey: Oppose. "Taking the bottom rungs off the job ladder makes it more difficult for low-skilled individuals to enter the workforce and learn work skills."

Janet Mills: Raise minimum wage to $12 by 2020

Mills: Yes. Preserve recent increase passed by voters, to $12/hr by 2020.

Moody: No. Roll back recent increase. This is among the initiatives he opposed.

Shawn Moody: Roll back minimum wage increase

Mills: Yes. Preserve recent increase passed by voters, to $12/hr by 2020.

Moody: No. Roll back recent increase. This is among the initiatives he opposed.

Zak Ringelstein: Increase minimum wage to $15/hour & tie to inflation

Brakey: No. Will hurt the people it's intended to help.

King: Yes. Has long supported Federal increase. Not yet backing $15.

Ringelstein: Yes. Increase to $15/hour & tie to inflation.

Jared Golden: Fought for fair and equal pay, in state legislature

In the Marines, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, I learned what leadership is--it's putting those you lead or represent first. I worked for Senator Susan Collins as a professional staff member before being elected to the legislature. I work across the aisle, with my Republican colleagues and Governor LePage, to find common ground and get the job done for Mainers.

Shawn Moody: Make it easier for job creators: create a service hotline

Zak Ringelstein: Create jobs by investment in land grants and infrastructure

Chris Lyons: Oppose affirmative action in hiring

A: oppose

Paul LePage: Employers can pay tipped workers half minimum wage

Legislative outcome:Passed Senate 23-12-0; Roll Call #246; Jun/7/17; Passed House 110-37-4; Roll Call #302; Jun/13/17; Signed by Governor Paul LePage, Jun/23/17

Jared Golden: Don't limit tipped workers to half minimum wage

Legislative outcome:Passed Senate 23-12-0; Roll Call #246; Jun/7/17; Passed House 110-37-4; Roll Call #302; Jun/13/17; Rep. Golden voted YES; Signed by Governor Paul LePage, Jun/23/17

Sara Gideon: Don't limit tipped workers to half minimum wage

Legislative outcome:Passed Senate 23-12-0; Roll Call #246; Jun/7/17; Passed House 110-37-4; Roll Call #302; Jun/13/17; Rep. Sara Gideon voted YES; Signed by Governor Paul LePage, Jun/23/17

Eric Brakey: Employers can pay tipped workers half minimum wage

Legislative outcome:Passed Senate 23-12-0; Roll Call #246; Jun/7/17; Sen. Brakey voted YES; Passed House 110-37-4; Roll Call #302; Jun/13/17; Signed by Governor Paul LePage, Jun/23/17

Mike Thibodeau: Employers can pay tipped workers half minimum wage

Legislative outcome:Passed Senate 23-12-0; Roll Call #246; Jun/7/17; Sen. Thibodeau voted YES; Passed House 110-37-4; Roll Call #302; Jun/13/17; Signed by Governor Paul LePage, Jun/23/17

Paul LePage: Allow employer's access to employee social media accounts

Summary by Littler-Mendelson P.C.: Maine has now enacted legislation that restricts an employer's ability to demand information regarding an employee's or job applicant's social media account. The Act expressly prohibits employers from requiring or requesting an employee or job applicant provide the employer with the password or other means of accessing his or her social media accounts. Governor LePage attempted to veto 65 bills including the Act. Maine lawmakers argued that the Governor missed the veto deadline; the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled that all 65 bills had become law.

Legislative outcome:Passed House 83-60-8, Roll Call #136 on Jun/2/15; Passed Senate 35-0-0, Roll Call #127 on Jun/3/15; Vetoed by Governor Paul LePage Jul/16/15

Eric Brakey: Restrict employer's access to employee social media accounts

Summary by Littler-Mendelson P.C.: Maine has now enacted legislation that restricts an employer's ability to demand information regarding an employee's or job applicant's social media account. The Act expressly prohibits employers from requiring or requesting an employee or job applicant provide the employer with the password or other means of accessing his or her social media accounts. Governor LePage attempted to veto 65 bills including the Act. Maine lawmakers argued that the Governor missed the veto deadline; the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled that all 65 bills had become law.

Legislative outcome:Passed House 83-60-8, Roll Call #136 on Jun/2/15; Passed Senate 35-0-0, Roll Call #127 on Jun/3/15; Brakey voted YES; Vetoed by Governor Paul LePage Jul/16/15

Mike Thibodeau: Restrict employer's access to employee social media accounts

Summary by Littler-Mendelson P.C.: Maine has now enacted legislation that restricts an employer's ability to demand information regarding an employee's or job applicant's social media account. The Act expressly prohibits employers from requiring or requesting an employee or job applicant provide the employer with the password or other means of accessing his or her social media accounts. Governor LePage attempted to veto 65 bills including the Act. Maine lawmakers argued that the Governor missed the veto deadline; the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled that all 65 bills had become law.

Legislative outcome:Passed House 83-60-8, Roll Call #136 on Jun/2/15; Passed Senate 35-0-0, Roll Call #127 on Jun/3/15; Thibodeau voted YES; Vetoed by Gov. Paul LePage Jul/16/15

Jared Golden: Restrict employer's access to employee social media accounts

Summary by Littler-Mendelson P.C.: Maine has now enacted legislation that restricts an employer's ability to demand information regarding an employee's or job applicant's social media account. The Act expressly prohibits employers from requiring or requesting an employee or job applicant provide the employer with the password or other means of accessing his or her social media accounts. Governor LePage attempted to veto 65 bills including the Act. Maine lawmakers argued that the Governor missed the veto deadline; the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled that all 65 bills had become law.

Legislative outcome:Passed House 83-60-8, Roll Call #136 on Jun/2/15; Golden voted YES; Passed Senate 35-0-0, Roll Call #127 on Jun/3/15; Vetoed by Governor Paul LePage Jul/16/15

Sara Gideon: Restrict employer's access to employee social media accounts

Summary by Littler-Mendelson P.C.: Maine has now enacted legislation that restricts an employer's ability to demand information regarding an employee's or job applicant's social media account. The Act expressly prohibits employers from requiring or requesting an employee or job applicant provide the employer with the password or other means of accessing his or her social media accounts. Governor LePage attempted to veto 65 bills including the Act. Maine lawmakers argued that the Governor missed the veto deadline; the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled that all 65 bills had become law.

Legislative outcome:Passed House 83-60-8, Roll Call #136 on 6/2/15; Gideon co-sponsored & voted YES; Passed Senate 35-0-0, Roll Call #127 on 6/3/15; Vetoed by Gov. LePage 7/16/15

Paul LePage: Are low-wage call-center jobs the kind we want?

The starting wage at NexxLinx is between $8.50 and $9 per hour, plus incentives. That amounts to about $19,000 per year for employees who work 40 hours per week.

"People can cry and holler all they want, but if we don't reduce energy costs, we're going to have two Maines," LePage said. The other Maine, he said, is in the south, where there are higher-wage jobs. [A Nexxlink spokesman said the issue was finding good workers, not energy costs.]

Paul LePage: Vetoed incrementally raising the state's minimum wage

All of those governors won a first term in the national Republican sweep of 2010, and most have had strong Republican representation in their legislatures to support them. But LePage was tasked with facing a Democrat-controlled legislature, and in July he vetoed a bill to incrementally raise the state's minimum wage.

For his likely Democratic challenger, Rep. Mike Michaud, increasing the minimum wage is an issue the onetime paper mill worker from northern Maine discusses often, said a campaign adviser. "He is closely aligned with working- and middle-class families," Farmer said. "He's not a millionaire.

Mike Michaud: AdWatch: Unions endorse Michaud "to represent Maine workers"

"We defend the right of Maine workers to have a voice in their wages, benefits and working conditions," said a union leader. "Together, we will move forward to address common legislative issues such as the urgent need to accept federal funds to expand health-care coverage and to elect a governor who represents Maine workers. We are united in supporting Congressman Mike Michaud as Maine's next governor."

"This really proves that the unions have lost their moorings as to what their purpose is," said a Maine GOP spokesman. "Their first order of business is electing Mike Michaud, who will raise taxes and hurt small businesses. It's pretty clear that this is nothing more than a new political action committee funded by forcing Maine people to pay out of their paychecks."

Shenna Bellows: Increase minimum wage to make it a living wage

When asked about the "safety-net" just being a subsidy for corporations such as Wal-Mart, Bellows replied that in the last 20 years there has been an economic and environmental crisis. One of her goals is to increase minimum wage to make it a "living wage."

Bellows is also for transparency in government and worked extensively on the Right To Know GMO Campaign for the labeling of genetically modified foods.

Eliot Cutler: Zealously guard against interference in unionization efforts

A: I have always supported and will always protect the right of workers to form and to join unions, and I have witnessed the important contributions that unions have made for decades in scores of Maine communities. I will zealously guard against interference in the process through which workers are permitted to decide whether to organize or not.

My goal as Governor will be to create the conditions that will encourage investment and economic activity in our state, so that we can begin creating jobs again for all Maine workers, whether union or non-union. Our problem is not that we don't have clear rules for forming a union; our problem is that Maine's economy has been at a standstill for more than a decade

Paul LePage: Reduce red tape for permitting for principled job creators

However, let me be clear, I am not interested in helping those who increase the cost of living on Maine people for personal financial gain. Unemployment is down in Maine, lower than the national average. We are focusing our efforts on branding the State of Maine, recognizing that Maine made products embody quality and value. Government is becoming more transparent. We exposed the wasteful use of Mainers tax dollars at agencies such as the Maine Turnpike Authority and Maine State Housing Authority. We not only exposed it--we cleaned it up. We have more to do!

Angus King: Keep 900 shoe factory jobs in Maine

King visited shoe factories in Madison and Skowhegan and called for continued trade protection for New Balance Athletic Shoe. "There are more than 900 jobs at stake in Maine, and it would be a terrible blow to the region and the state if these jobs are lost," said the former governor, who is running as an independent.

Cynthia Dill, the Democratic nominee, joined in afterward by issuing her own statement supporting fair trade protections for Maine workers. "There's no reason at this time to consider dropping tariffs against foreign products that compete unfairly against those produced in Maine," she said.

Summers also said New Balance and its jobs need to be protected, & that trade agreements that affect other industries need to be revisited as well. "I'm very much a supporter of free trade," Summers said. "But with companies like New Balance, you have to make sure they are able to compete."

Jean Hay Bright: Raise the minimum wage, then adjust it annually