Maine’s second largest labor union is considering illegal tactics, including tactics that could temporarily shut down state government, to gain leverage in its so far unsuccessful negotiations for pay increases with Gov. Janet Mills’ bargaining representative, the Maine Wire has learned.
The Maine Service Employees Association – Service Employees International Union 1989 (MSEA-SEIU 1989), the union that represents state employees, offered a proposal that included steep pay increases and several additional benefits in April.
But the Mills Administration’s head negotiator, Director of the Bureau of Human Resources Breena Bissell, countered with a lowball offer from the Mills Administration last month that the union rejected almost instantly.
That package offer has expired.
Tuesday evening, roughly 75 state employees were on a bargaining session Zoom call where members discussed whether state workers should go on strike, stage a “sick out” or engage in a workplace slowdown — tactics that are illegal under the Maine State Employees Labor Relations Act.
Some state workers, including one with a master’s degree, said they’ve had to take on second jobs in order to keep pace with the rising costs of food, child care, and other goods and services.
During the call, some members were adamant about the need to escalate tactics, but MSEA leadership repeatedly stressed that it would be illegal to use union resources to organize any form of work stoppage.
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