AUGUSTA — The House of Representatives on Tuesday concurred with the Senate’s decision to send a bill back to committee that would remove workers’ right to unionize at the DeCoster-owned Quality Egg Farm in Turner.
The move came with a day left before the Legislature is scheduled to adjourn, meaning the bill is likely to be carried over to next session.
The House last week voted 74-68 to approve LD 1207 following an announcement by the bill’s sponsor that removing workers’ right to unionize was a sticking point in the sale of Quality Egg Farm to a subsidiary of Land O’Lakes Inc.
But following that decision, the Senate moved to delay the vote by recommitting the bill to committee. The move came amid additional questions about the extent of the Land O’Lakes negotiations.
Rep. Dale Crafts, R-Lisbon Falls, the bill’s sponsor, said last week that he hoped telling lawmakers about the sale would change the minds of those uncomfortable with backing legislation that benefits DeCoster, a company nationally known for its checkered history of workplace and labor violations.
Opponents, however, were skeptical of the timing and noted that there was no evidence that sale negotiation rumors were legitimate.
A spokeswoman from Land O’Lakes would neither confirm nor deny that the two companies were in negotiations. She denied any involvement in LD 1207.
A representative from Quality Egg described the negotiations as preliminary.
Comments are no longer available on this story