The fate of many of Maine’s wage employees lies in the hands of 13 lawmakers on the Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee. They are currently debating a number of minimum wage bills that could be voted out of committee during the next few days. Since a minimum wage was first established in Maine […]
minimum wage
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Proponents of increasing Maine’s minimum wage prepare for tough fight in Legislature
AUGUSTA — Efforts to raise Maine’s minimum wage were met with resistance Monday from Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s administration, GOP lawmakers and business groups who say the proposals could do more harm than good. Lawmakers on the Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee are considering seven bills to raise the $7.50 per hour minimum […]
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Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Maine minimum wage: Union workers lobby lawmakers for increase
AUGUSTA — Union workers are calling on lawmakers to support measures they say will improve wages and tackle economic inequality in Maine. About 200 workers packed the halls of the State House on Thursday to lobby lawmakers to raise the $7.50 per hour minimum wage and ensure that employees have predictable schedules. They’re also urging […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Auburn lawmaker sponsors bill to raise Maine minimum wage
AUGUSTA — A new effort to raise the minimum wage is underway in Augusta. A bill sponsored by Democratic Rep. Gina Melaragno of Auburn would raise the minimum wage from $7.50 to $12 per hour by 2020. She joined other advocates to lobby for the bill at the State House on Wednesday. Melaragno says in […]
Posted inLetters
W. Packard: A golden opportunity
If the political leaders in Washington, D.C., had any intelligence, they would realize that the falling oil prices have created a perfect opportunity for them to increase the minimum wage. Lower energy costs translate into lower costs for heating, transporting goods, food costs and just about everything done in this country. Passing those savings along […]
Posted inOp-Eds
David Sirota: Is the minimum wage really a living wage?
Under pressure to raise his state’s minimum wage, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker confidently declared that there was no need to do so. Low-wage workers had filed a complaint charging that the state’s minimum wage — $7.25 — did not constitute a “living wage” as mandated by state law. But the Republican governor’s administration, after examining […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Portland considers minimum wage hike
PORTLAND — Officials in Maine’s largest city are reviewing a proposal to increase the minimum wage from $7.50 an hour to $10.68 an hour over the next two years. The Portland Press Herald reported a Portland City Council committee began reviewing Mayor Michael Brennan’s plan on Thursday. The process of reviewing the law will likely […]
Posted inLetters
R. Bechard: A fair share for school workers
The liberal left are talking about hiking the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour. Before doing that, Gov. Paul LePage and the Maine Legislature should lift the wage freeze for Maine’s city workers. The cost of living has gone up dramatically, but for the second largest city in Maine, Lewiston custodians have the lowest wages. […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
State House candidates get start on fall campaigns at Lewiston forum
LEWISTON — Candidates hoping to win a seat or re-election to the Maine Legislature later this year made one of their first public forum appearances during a Maine People’s Alliance forum at the Lewiston Public Library on Thursday. The two-hour event was dominated by Democratic incumbents, but at least one Republican and one independent candidate […]
Posted inOp-Eds
Deb Simpson: Clean Elections Act in need of repair
The minimum wage in this country hasn’t kept pace with inflation. Workers today earning the minimum are actually effectively making around $3 less per hour than they would have been in 1968. In poll after poll, landslide majorities of Americans agree that is wrong and support raising the federal minimum wage to at least $10 […]