AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Labor Relations Board on Monday reaffirmed an April decision to reject a complaint from Maine’s largest public employees union that alleged the LePage administration illegally hired private contractors to perform state employees’ work after the union’s contract expired last year.
But the three-member board invited the state employees union to file additional paperwork in two weeks that contains details that clarify its case.
The Maine Labor Relations Board was considering the Maine State Employees Association’s appeal of the April decision from the board’s executive director. The union argued that the LePage administration violated a state law that keeps an expired contract’s provision in effect until a new labor agreement is reached. That so-called status quo provision, the union argued, meant the Maine State Employees Association should have had the chance to bargain for work that ultimately was awarded to nonunion members.
The Maine Labor Relations Board’s executive director, Marc Ayotte, rejected the complaint in April because he found the union failed to make a valid claim that the State Employee Labor Relations Act had been violated.
In a decision issued Monday, the full three-member board rejected the union’s argument, saying the association failed to prove the LePage administration violated labor laws. The decision also noted that the union failed to frame its case clearly.
“[T]he Union’s legal theory presents a nearly impossible challenge of framing the issue so that this Board, or Maine’s public sector community more generally, can discern the answer in any given case,” the board’s decision reads.
But while the board rejected the union’s argument, it said Ayotte shouldn’t have dismissed the union’s complaint in April and invited the union to provide more details to clarify its case.
Neither Ayotte nor representatives from the Maine State Employees Association could be reached for comment late Monday.
The LePage administration welcomed the labor board’s decision as a sign it has the right to restructure state government.
“The reorganization of state agencies including the Department of Health and Human Services is critical to the administration’s mission to develop a more fiscally responsible and accountable government,” LePage’s chief of staff, John McGough, said in a statement. “This attempt by the union to delay the process is yet another short-sighted maneuver against the administration.”
I have to say, I think it’s about time for the union to stop playing games and filing all these complaints. They’ve lost every one of them, the complaints have no merits. Time to act like adults.
You expect them to “act like adults” with the most childish bully of all at the helm?
Why yes, the most childish bully is on the other side. What’s your point?
If it was not for the unions in this country we all would be working $3.75 per hour. Try not forget that. Thats one of reason we have benefits when we retire. UNIONS!!!!!!. Not because the company just give it to us. Please thank the union for the wages that we get each week.
You forgot to thank the UNIONS for all of our industry and jobs for moving to China.
If not for UNIONS bread would still be 4 loaves for a dollar instead of $4 a loaf. At $3.75 an hour, that’s a lot of bread.
Average wage in the USA is $22.60 according to some internet sources. That has the same buying power as $3.82 in 1970. Inflation is the government’s way of making you think you’re a lot better off that you really are.
You and others who make statements based solely on unfounded opinions should try educating yourself. Here is a link that compares the U.S., China, and Germany: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/08/average-cost-factory-worker_n_1327413.html
Note that the average hourly wage for a Chinese factory worker is $1.36. Or perhaps you would like to work on a Central American fruit plantation with American corporate ownership, earning $5.00 for a 16 hour day. Will you work for those wages?
Facts such as these can easily be found in myriad sources if you care to look.
Anyone who thinks that improvements in wages, working conditions, and benefits, etc. occur naturally from the largesse of corporations knows nothing about history, economics, laissez-faire capitalism, or the labor movement.
The U.S. minimum wage is $7.25 per hour and Maine’s is $7.50. Still, that is considered to be too much by a large segment of the business community and their political allies (often they are one and the same). Why don’t you and they try supporting a family on that, because that is a perfect definition of the working poor.
Unions are not perfect, but don’t blame them for so many jobs going overseas. For example, Maine was once a major footwear producing state. Those jobs did not go to foreign countries because of unions. Look to the corporations who take advantage of foreign workers and will pay as little as they can get away with in the U.S.
And I will try to remember to thank YOU for turning a blind eye to the fact that US companies deserted America in search of lower wages that would increase their profits.
Didn’t the unions contribute to getting NAFTA passed? If so, they screwed themselves and the country.
Where do you get that from? Wheat farmers arn’t organized! i can name 3 businesses here on Midcoast that were mover out of State or Overseas that weren’t union! back up your statement.
Jobs have fled the US because of pro-corporate policies that allow capital to freely cross borders without allowing labor the same privilege.
In the beginning this was so, but the unions have been corrupted for a long time, with the leader’s hands in the worker’s pockets, supporting causes that hurt all of us. Our workers earn more and hand it back over to the union. Reform would have come anyway, our workers need to keep all of their paycheck.
” In the beginning this was so, but the unions have been corrupted for a long time, with the leader’s hands in the worker’s pockets, supporting causes that hurt all of us”
That has got to be the most worn out lame statement ever!
I agree. Interesting, too, how those who gave it a “like” just automatically hop on board. It’s the complete lack of knowledge about unions and the wholehearted swallowing of the party line that fuels their ignorance.
How anyone that is a wage earner can support the idea that corporations organizing capital is good but the counter part of labor organizing is bad is mind boggling,
The ONLY reasonable excuse is that they have been “thought programed” hypnotized, and brainwashed!
Or they have never worked for a living.
Who do you think elected the union leadership? How much do you think they pay in dues? I worked in a union shop for many years and paid 2 hours wages a month. I thought that was cheap protection against all the bully bosses out there who think employee means Whipping Boy
UNIONS ARE THE BEST. The Goverment corrupts not the unions. So the union was the cause of the mess in the middleast wrong. Know our tax dollars are rebuilding the Middleast country’s.
14 Million Union workers in the U.S. and over half are in the public sector. Every State in the Country has money problems because of this.
So you think the unions are the problem then go to Burger King and see what your wages are. Try Walmart, JC Penny, Sears, and I could go on and on. What is most of the wages for these company’s $8 to $9 dollars per hour. Pretty sad could you live on it. If the unions were helping much better wages. But its your dream about the unions and I thank them everyday for living they helped provide for me and my family. The reason why company’s went to China was kids work over there for nothing and then its imported 10cent jeans and charge $49.95 for a pair of jeans.
Whose money do you think the state stole to pay those “union wages” that you brag about?
What is going to happen to those wonderful “union wages” when the state of Maine runs out of money to keep paying them?
So the state of maine pays all unions workers wages HUMMM. That is very interesting, I love seeing my tax money paying for a union job them the welfare and mainecare jobs once a month. They stole the unions money out of Maine State Retirement to help keep mainecare and welfare going and other programs as well in this state. This is the facts and they are still trying to figure away to get more money out of the MSRS system.
Nope! They gave $70 million to the rich in tax breaks! Where have you been?
They did millions out of MSRS and never put it back. That were I have been.
Taxes aren’t theft!
They are Constitutionally Legal, if you don’t like it go to China where “slave labor” is legal!
If the State of Maine runs out of money, blame LePage! He is giving it to the rich every day.
Yes they are in the public sector.
The real reason was NAFTA…………………….
What does NAFTA have to do with China?
The North American Free Trade Agreement has allowed American mfr. companies to set up business outside the US in order to keep cost of production at a lower rate. China, in my thinking, fits that description.
Clinton opened trade with China in a separate agreement. The plan was to open the huge Chinese market to American products. I don’t think China is in North America. It worked, somewhat, but also backfired.
You are correct that China is not in North America. The point I was trying to make is that simply, the US screwed up badly with NAFTA. H.Ross Perot was correct that the giant sucking sound was that of American jobs leaving the country.
NAFTA was Bill and Monica.
Wrong. NAFTA was Ronnie Reagan.
NAFTA was Clinton. Reagan was a sad president. He had no idea and he was losed. His mine was going as president.
Reagan enacted the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1980 between the US, Canada, and Mexico. His vision and that of The Heritage foundation was to use it as a first step to supposedly create US jobs and financial security. I’ll provide a link to the memorandum on it. http://www.heritage.org/resear… So as you can see it goes way back, and was most likely the beginning of our economic downward spiral.
Every State has Money Problems because of the “Other” non Union workers that don’t make enough money to even –TAX!
It’s a revenue problem!
Not enough good paying wage earners!
Haven’t you heard the Rights complaint that 50 % of the people in America Pay No Taxes?
Every state in the union has money problems because of so many people out of work! They just blame it on the unions because it is so easy to do. People are out of work because of the greedy money grabbers taking those jobs overseas to the lowest bidder. it shows in the quality of every product you buy. During Bush era, millions of jobs left this country. They can’t be replaced. That is the reason the businessmen think they are so important. They think they have replaced the American worker. When you disrespect someones job, you leave your own job open to scrutiny. This dilema can’t be solved by bickering among middle class. It can only get better by working together. 30% of the middle class fell below the poverty line last year! Where do you think that money went? Not in the pockets of government workers.
Even the sainted FDR was against the unionization of public employees.
You know if was not for the unions starting in this country the big paying management people would only be getting $12.50 per hour. So you are one of those than your lucky stars for the union input to bring to wages were they are today. I am a union suporter, but too all my union brothers and sister’s amen.
“You of organized labor and those who have gone before you in the union movement have helped make a unique contribution to the general welfare of the Republic–the development of the American philosophy of labor” Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1955.
Your quote is from a speech Eisenhower made to the AFL-CIO, a private-sector union.
I know that the left likes to conflate private- and public-sector unions, but they are not the same.
Another quote from the same speech:
“The American worker strives for betterment not by destroying his employer and his employer’s business, but by understanding his employer’s problems of competition, prices, markets.”
Public-sector unions are currently destroying their “employer,” the taxpayer, all over the country.
If it were not for the unions in this country, we would all be looking at jobs that haven’t left the country for other lands to people who work for less money. If it were not for the unions in this country,If it were not for the unions in this country, Wisconsin’s governor would not have had a baseless recall election.vIf it were not for the unions in this country, the DNC would have to have to find another source of big money to replace the unions money laundering scheme. If it were not for the unions in this country, the Democratic Socialists of America and the Communist Party of America (CPUSA) would have little backing.
If it was not Wall Street and Federal back loans this country would be in alot better shape. Wall Street has cost this country more money then any union could think of. The good old Baby Bush days has killed this country not the unions. This country was sorring when Bill Clinton was at the helm. Stock market was making us tons of money. Then came Monica and things began to hang and the old white house became the Monica and Bill show for awhile. But unions kept on going. Later the rest of the story.
The board would not have given them the opportunity to clarify their complaint if they did not think that there was merit.
They have lost every one because the decisions are made by LePage Bobbleheads.
The union is astounded that they can no longer loot the public treasury with impunity.
Experience has shown me that those who condemn unions the most are those who’ve always envied union workers. But mention working nights, double shifts, weekends or holidays, etc. and they are the first to say, “I’d never do that.” They can criticize unions ’til hell freezes over, but even those earning a pitiful minimum wage better think twice because if not for unions, they wouldn’t even be getting that small amount. And Herr Lepage wants to put “training wages” in place so employers wouldn’t even have to pay minimum wage. Add in the misleading Right to Work law and who will be there fighting for you all the way? Unions.
Why would anyone envy workers who are paid like interchangeable widgets? Those with a modicum of talent prefer to be paid what they are worth.
And who decides what they are worth?
Lets remember that beauty is in the eye off the beholder! or the kiss a** gets favortism. I worked in a Union Shop where the more that you produced the more that you earned. Production was measured equitably If there was any descrepancy the union would step in and help settle it. I also worked in a Non Union shop where you where ( Supposedly) paid on amount of production as measured by management that you created but the Management would cook the books and padd the good ole boys paycheck with my work.
When caught red handed the reply was that it must have been an honest mistake!
Having a Union Referee is much better!
An its been proven if it was not for unions nonunion people would not have what they have today like benefits safe working conditions ect
MSEA is a joke and has been a long time. When it started it was a good working person’s contact. but with all things as time went by it got bigger and not better. Those were the days.
I was a union member for over 30 yrs and have seen the good and bad it had to offer, I am also a tax paying person and I say if you can hire work to be done and some non-union company can do it cheaper then the union, well union, either come down on your price or pack up!
The real tragedy here is that after preaching endlessly that we need more jobs in Maine, he hires a New York attorney to negotiate union contracts, and out of state private contractors to do Maine work. Taking the MSEA out of the equation, don’t we have private contractors here in Maine that need work? Allthe governor’s doing to Maine is take, take, take with no giving back of anything. Hypocrite at best, liar at worst.
YABBA DABBA DOO!!!! WILMAAAAA!!!
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Saving/creating Maine jobs…..what gives, LePage?
In Koch lock step he marches. Like Walker, he too, will attempt to bring state workers to their knees.
The MSEA., threatened as it is, must continue to fight. Le Page is an enemy of labor. To him, the state should control all workers without any bargaining rights.
Contracts are awarded
to people who want jobs and are willing to work
for the wages being offered; if the union was unwilling to accept a contract, the union shouldn’t make a bad decision worse
by wasting more taxpayer dollars on litigation.
Unions are corrupt.. Always have been, Always will be.. Just ask Mr. Hoffa..(If you can find him)
You couldn’t be more wrong and your statement shows how little you know about unions. Besides, did you not read about Lepage’s comment just two weeks ago? You know…”Middle management workers in state government are corrupt?” Do you not realize that middle management workers would be non-union? Didn’t think so.
I know enough about unions to know that I would never be in one. I have worked steady since the early 70’s non-union and have gotten along just fine. I have everything that I need and want. The big thing though, is I sleep very well at night knowing that I gave an honest days work and didn’t put the screws to someone. So you hang on to your beliefs and I’ll hang on to mine.
why in every pic of the gov dose he have that dufuss look on his face?….oh wait he is a dufuss