Maine AFL-CIO -- Employee Free Choice Act Blog

WE BEAT THEM!

Brothers & Sisters,

You did it! Thanks to the hard work of union members and many others in Maine, TABOR/Question 4 was soundly defeated 60-40 at the polls yesterday as was Question 2/the gutting of the auto excise tax.  This is an important victory for Maine workers and our communities. We want to take a moment to thank all of you and your unions for the work that you put into defeating TABOR.  The work that our affiliated local unions and councils did educating & mobilizing our members and the general public was a significant reason we so soundly defeated TABOR II.
 
A few quick numbers that reflect the quality and depth of our collective efforts:

• 76 - Educational Presentations about TABOR & the Excise tax were made at 76 local union or union council meetings
• 33 - 33 Local Unions called their own members to talk with them about Questions 2 & 4
• 62 – at least 62 of our affiliated union members took phonebanking shifts calling the general public to defeat TABOR
• 41 – 41 local unions leafleted multiple worksites with anti TABOR Leaflets and scores of other unions got leaflets out at local union meetings or through the mail
• 21 Unions or Union Councils sent customized local union mail to their members covering 104 different local unions in Maine on this issue
• 3 – The Maine AFL-CIO, with direct support from the National AFL-CIO, sent out 3 mail pieces to 26,000 union & Working America households
• Hundreds – Hundreds of you spoke to your families, friends & co-workers about this issue and turned an initial 30+ point deficit into a 20 point victory. That’s great work!

 
We see this victory as a beginning rather than an end to this tax & budget fairness work. We rooted our campaign in an effort to not only defeat question 2 & 4 but to also educate about the larger structural taxation, budget & economic issues that underlie the TABOR debate. For the last 40 years there has been a massive tax shift in this country – from corporations to individuals and from the rich to the rest of us. That tax shift coupled with stagnant wages for workers is a major cause of the soaring inequality in our country, the constant structural budget deficits our towns and cities face and the underlying sense of unfairness and discontent with our tax  structure. At our recent Maine AFL-CIO convention we held a workshop on the labor movement’s vision for taxation. The workshop culminated in establishing a tax fairness committee that will work on researching, educating and developing a program to create a more economically just tax structure and revenue streams.  We’ve been on the defensive on these issues for way too long and that needs to change.
 
Thanks again for all of your great work!
 
In Solidarity,
Matt Schlobohm

2009 Maine AFL-CIO Convention Photos

Ally Spotlight- Christopher "Kit" St. John, MECEP Executive Director

Chris St. John, or "Kit" as he prefers to be called, is the Executive Director of the Maine Center for Economic Policy. The Maine Center for Economic Policy advances public policies that help Maine people prosper in a strong, fair and sustainable economy. They strive to do so through high-quality research, analysis, citizen education, and coalition building.

In that capacity, Kit helped explain the economics behind both questions 2 and 4 at the recent Maine AFL-CIO TABOR II & Fair Taxation training. His conclusions were common sense. Both of these measures will either unfairly shift costs or result in harmful reductions in public services, if not both.

Kit explained that Question 2, the Excise tax will eliminate an estimated 86 million dollars from local budgets. That’s money that directly pays for road maintenance and plowing. The cuts will be unfairly given to those that can afford the newest cars, whereas the rest of us will just have to endure. Towns will be forced to try and recoup that lost revenue by raising property taxes.

"TABOR has the potential to be even more devastating" said Kit. The Law is designed to ratchet down spending, cutting services, and devastating our brothers and sisters in the public sector. What's more municipalities will undoubtedly try and stem the loss of services by raising needed funds from elsewhere.

You can get more information from MECEP on TABOR and the Excise Tax here: http://www.mecep.org/view.asp?news=526.

Lets Get Health Care Right

Presently the Senate Finance Committee's health care reform bill includes an Excise Tax on health care benefits. This is unacceptable to Maine's working families. Union members have sacrificed and fought for years to ensure that their families have the best health care coverage. The proposed Excise Tax would cut into what we have earned.

The Committee is trying to place the weight of financing health care on the backs of working families instead of doing the hard work of challenging the insurance companies and health care industry.

Over 76 members of congress including Representative Michaud and Representative Pingree have signed a letter opposing the Senate Finance Committee's Excise Tax on your benefits. We need to make sure that our Senators Snowe and Collins oppose the taxing of health benefits as well. Call them today at 1-877-323-5246. Tell them that taxing your family's benefits is not reform.

The Maine AFL-CIO continues to believe that the most effective way to solve our health care crisis is by enacting a Medicare for All health care system with single payer financing. We will have historic opportunities in the coming weeks to build support for that goal. For the first time in US history, the United State House & Senate will be voting on whether to establish a single payer system. They will also be voting on amendments to make it easier for states to enact single payer health systems at the state level. Stay tuned for more updates. And to learn more go to: www.pnhp.org/change and www.pnhp.org/amendment.

Labor Says No (Again) to TABOR

Election day is one month away.  We are working hard to defeat TABOR II (Question 4) and the gutting of the auto excise tax (Question 2). Both of these measures threaten union members & workers' jobs, key services like schools and public safety, and our very ability to have a government that works for working people. We are holding a weekly labor phonebank in South Portland and Auburn - and we need your help.

PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU CAN VOLUNTEER FOR A NIGHT. The schedule is below. And if these nights don't work you can either go on a different night to these locations or make calls from home.  Please let us know if you can volunteer. We will provide training & a script.  Thanks for all you do.

South Portland Phonebanks - Maine Education Association Office, 29
Christopher Toppi Drive  (Sponsored by the Professional Firefighters of
Maine & the Maine AFL-CIO)

   TUESDAY October 6, 5pm - 8pm

   WEDNESDAY October 14, 5pm - 8pm

   WEDNESDAY October 21, 5pm - 8pm

   WEDNESDAY October 28, 5pm - 8pm

For More info: Ben Traslavina, btraslav@emploeefreechoice.org,
312-8905 

Auburn Phonebanks - Maine Education Association Office, 201 Main St, Auburn
(Sponsored by the Western Maine Labor Council, Maine AFL-CIO & Professional
Firefighters of Maine)

   TUESDAY October 6, 5pm - 8pm

   WEDNESDAY October 14, 5pm - 8pm

   WEDNESDAY October 21, 5pm - 8pm

   WEDNESDAY October 28, 5pm - 8pm

For more info: Matt Schlobohm, matt@maineaflcio.org, 576.3572

No on Question 4

AFL-CIO National Convention 2009

The 2009 National AFL-CIO Convention in Pittsburgh marked the end of an era and a number of historic changes. After a lifetime of service to the labor movement and 14 years as the AFL-CIO President, John Sweeney graciously stepped down.

Delegates overwhelmingly elected former Secretary Treasurer Richard Trumka, President of the AFL-CIO. At his side Arlene Holt Baker was reelected Executive Vice President. In a historic first Liz Shuler, out of the IBEW, was elected Secretary Treasurer. At 39 years old, she is the youngest officer in AFL-CIO history and the first elected female secretary treasurer.

Another highlight from the convention was the return of UNITE HERE to the AFL-CIO family. "Solidarity will always overcome division, our union will continue to be a strong and growing member in the house of labor." Said John Wilhelm President of the 265,000 strong UNITE HERE. In these trying times working people need to stick together regardless of organization.

The Maine AFL-CIO welcomes the brothers and sisters of UNITE HERE back to the house of labor. What's more we look forward to an even stronger future under new leadership.

Labor Leader Spotlight- Gerry Gay, President IAFF Local 1624

The Sanford Firefighters Associations, Local 1624 IAFF, is comprised of 43 fire fighters and paramedics who do their best to serve the community. Since 1966 the Local has worked to improve emergency services while simultaneously looking out for the safety and well-being of its' membership.

As President of Local 1624, Gerry Gay is helping to lead the fightagainst TABOR II (Question 4) and and the gutting of the auto excise tax(Question 2). If passed, both measures will be devastating to Local 1624 andthe service they provide the community. "Our town manager has made it very clear that there will be reductions" said Gerry. "Gutting the Excise Tax alone will deprive the community an estimated 1.1. million dollars."

The brothers and sisters of Local 1624 have no intention of taking this lying down. Fire fighters and first responders from across the state are gearing up to get the word out to vote no on question 4 and 2 this November. They are informing their friends, family and neighbors through signs and leaflets to make sure that our communities remain safe.

Fire Fighters Stand Up Against Tabor II

John Martell is a Firefighter/Paramedic with the Portland Fire Department. John started his professional career with the Saco Fire Department in 1991 and joined Portland in 1993. He is currently assigned to the Marine Division on E-7 as a pilot/engineer. John has served on Portland Local 740’s executive board, public relations committee, legislative committee and has been active in union business during his entire career. (www.pffmaine.org)

John helped defeat Tabor when it was on the ballot in 2006. He intends to do so again. "We're the boots on the ground" said John at a recent meeting with Southern Maine PFFM leaders. "It's critical that we defeat Tabor and the Excise Tax."

These ballot initiatives will undermine town and city budgets threatening critical services like Fire Departments and EMTs. This not only is a danger to the livelihood of many first responders, it is also a danger to the communities that those first responders serve. The PFF of Maine is especially concerned by the fact that if Tabor II is passed, it will cut funds to the money alloted for death benefits for Fire Fighters and Police Officers that are killed in the line of duty. Fortunately, John Martell and the brothers and sisters of the Professional Fire fighters of Maine aren't going to let that happen.

Photos From Labor Day 09'

There are lots more great photos from events throughout the state here. http://www.starleft.smugmug.com/