News
Also see our media library for newspaper articles, editorials, etc.
May 16, 2008: 26 Fee Challengers walk from the arbitration, filing a resolve of "no confidence" with the arbitrator. Read the full complaint on our arbitration page.
February 19, 2008: The US Supreme Court today granted a writ of certiorari which means in English that they will hear the Maine case against "Fair Share". Oral arguments will be held sometime in the Fall. For more details see the NRTW announcement, also see our litigation page for the court documents.
April 25, 2007: Public hearing for LD 1604 is packed with "unfairshare" supporters! By a margin of 20-1 at the beginning, we outnumbered MSEA folks so strongly that they had to call in their paid staff to testify against the bill. We are hopeful this left a strong impression on the Labor Committee and will help solidify support for a legislative solution to this issue. Read the story in the Kennebec Journal.
April 8, 2007: Decertification campaign extended! In response to continued positive feedback and recent publicity, we are extending the decertification campaign through April 30.
April 2, 2007: Support LD 1604 to ban "Fair Share" for State workers! For more information see our legislation page.
March 2, 2007: State sends out over 500 "Investigation Questionnaires" in the process towards firing State employees for not paying forced union dues! Governor Baldacci appears on talk radio station WLOB and completely contradicts his Nov 2 campaign statements!
December 15, 2006: State sends out 590 warning letters to State employees for nonpayment of forced union fees, completely violating their own agreement in Court documents not to pursue terminations until the Court case was settled, and contrary to Governor Baldacci's campaign statements of Nov. 2.
October 16, 2006: State workers begin decertification campaign! See the decertification page for details.
July 10, 2006: State workers protest union fees! For more details, see TV News 6 or Portland Press-Herald story.
June 26, 2006: Prison guards to be fired! Several corrections officers who are forced into AFSCME representation were presented with a letter from Ken Walo, starting the 30 days to termination if they don't pay their "service" fees.
April 25, 2006: Appeal process started! Today we filed a notice of appeal with the US District Court in Portland, indicating our intent to appeal our case to the US Appeals Court in Boston.
April 18, 2006: New employee organization formed! We are pleased to announce the formation of the Associated Government Employees of Maine. This is a new, independent employee organization focused on improving the conditions of state employees. The group is voluntary, and independent of any political party or national labor union. Their only focus will be on state workers - not influencing elections or picketing Wal-Mart. Decertification petitions will start circulating in October 2006.
March 31, 2006: Today Judge Singal ruled in favor of the union and state defendants and dismissed our court case. Do not lose heart however! We will appeal the decision to the US Appeals Court in Boston, and our attorneys are already working on the appeals. We encourage employees to continue to NOT pay the fee, and union members to QUIT the union and stop their payments. We will prevail because our cause is right and the law is on our side. Read the full order on our litigation page.
February 22, 2006: A
group met today to start the decertification
campaign. Get involved and help get rid of radical union
representation and forced union "fees"!
January 15, 2006: Maine
Right-to-Work group founded! Get involved at
http://www.mainertw.org.
September 30, 2005: MSEA-SEIU
DECERTIFIED! Law enforcement personnel (those in the law
enforcement services bargaining unit - forest rangers, game wardens,
probation officers, etc.) voted overwhelmingly today to decertify
MSEA-SEIU Local 1989 as their bargaining agent, instead forming their
own independent association. The new Maine State Law Enforcement
Association (MSLEA) won today's election by a 237-69
majority.
This is primarily due to MSEA-SEIU's insistence on a "Fair Share"
provision in the contract, despite clear opposition from the workers,
and other failures of MSEA-SEIU in representing these workers.
MSEA-SEIU refused again to listen to the workers they purport to
represent, and with the contract expired the bargaining unit was able
to hold an immediate decertification election. We congratulate
them on their success in winning the freedom to choose union
representation. It is unfortunate that it had to come to this
however, and we hope that MSEA-SEIU can do the right thing and remove
forced union fees before losing other bargaining units in 2007.
August 3, 2005: Judge Singal was not satisfied with the definition of the class and required amending the motion, which delays the hearing. We'll keep you posted when a new date has been set.
July 16 2005: An informational meeting with our lawyer, Jim Young of NRTW, was held July 12 in Augusta. About 50 people showed up to discuss the lawsuit and ask other questions regarding the legalities of the "service fee". The state, in its response to the request for injunction, said it WOULD NOT TERMINATE ANY EMPLOYEES while this lawsuit is being litigated. Furthermore, MSEA has dropped its effort to charge for organizing costs from the non-member "service fee". Both of these are minor victories, but our ultimate goal is still out there - to have the fee removed entirely one way or another.