The Maine Wire
  • News
  • Commentary
  • Maine Wire TV
  • Podcasts
  • About
  • Contact
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending News
  • Embattled Harvard President Claudine Gay Accused of Plagiarism
  • Triad Weed: Suspected Chinese Foreign National Arrested Operating Illegal Marijuana Grow in Tenn.
  • Independent Commission Investigating Lewiston Shooting Postpones Public Hearing While Awaiting “key information”
  • NH Man Charged with Threatening to Kill Vivek Ramaswamy, Attendees at Portsmouth Campaign Event
  • Golden & Pingree Sign Letter With 100+ Other Reps Asking for $1.6 Billion Increase to LIHEAP
  • Piantidosi CD1 Candidate – Antisemites Come Out of the Shadows
  • John Fetterman Once Again Breaks With His Party and Suggests That Democrats Should Engage With Republicans on the Border
  • Woke Ideology and Foreign Money are Corrupting Education
Facebook Twitter Instagram
The Maine Wire
Login
Monday, December 11
  • News
  • Commentary
  • Maine Wire TV
  • Podcasts
  • About
  • Contact
The Maine Wire
Home » News » Fair Workweek bill fails miserably in committee
News

Fair Workweek bill fails miserably in committee

Jacob PosikBy Jacob PosikApril 10, 2019Updated:April 10, 2019No Comments2 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Reddit
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

This morning, lawmakers on the Labor and Housing Committee held a public hearing on LD 1345, a bill that would require employers to provide their employees with at least two weeks prior notice of the employees’ work schedule. The bill would also impose penalties on employers for making changes to an employees’ schedule without adequate notice, even if the scheduling conflicts were outside of an employer’s control (with a few exceptions).

There was little public support for LD 1345 at the hearing Wednesday morning. Rep. Gina Melaragno, the bill’s primary sponsor, and Rep. Heidi Brooks, a co-sponsor of the bill, spoke in favor of the legislation along with James Myall of the Maine Center for Economic Policy. No one else in the state appeared before the Labor and Housing committee Monday to support the measure.

The Maine Center for Economic Policy was the only entity present to support LD 1345 at Wednesday’s public hearing. Photo courtesy of Curtis Picard.

After the bill’s few supporters gave their testimony, more than 50 members of the public opposed to LD 1345 were prepared to speak. Many opponents belong to the Restaurant Workers of Maine, the organization primarily responsible for reinstating the tip credit after it was eliminated through referendum in 2016. Retail and hospitality groups were also opposed to the measure, including the Retail Association of Maine.

After about 10 opponents of the measure spoke against it, the chair of the Labor and Housing Committee, Sen. Shenna Bellows, suspended the hearing to caucus with members of the committee.

In an unprecedented move, after the brief caucus, members of the committee returned to end the public hearing and immediately moved into the work session on LD 1345, where lawmakers unanimously voted to kill the bill.

“This was the best outcome for Maine,” said Wendyll Caisse, a former restaurant owner in Maine and the treasurer for the Restaurant Workers of America, an organization that advocates for pro-restaurant worker policies throughout the country.

“The committee recognized the onerous aspects of this law and realized it was in no one’s best interest for the state to become a partner in everyone’s business.”

The committee’s swift execution of LD 1345 is a win for workers and small business owners throughout the state who have been under attack since the start of this legislative session.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Commentary fair workweek Featured Labor labor reform Maine Center for Economic Policy restaurant workers of America restaurant workers of maine
Previous Article‘Fair Workweek’ bill is anything but fair to workers who will suffer from its enactment
Next Article There’s no need to neuter the net in Maine
Jacob Posik

Jacob Posik, of Turner, is the director of communications at Maine Policy Institute. He formerly served as a policy analyst at Maine Policy and editor of The Maine Wire. Posik can be reached at jposik@mainepolicy.org.

Related Posts

Embattled Harvard President Claudine Gay Accused of Plagiarism

December 11, 2023

Triad Weed: Suspected Chinese Foreign National Arrested Operating Illegal Marijuana Grow in Tenn.

December 11, 2023

NH Man Charged with Threatening to Kill Vivek Ramaswamy, Attendees at Portsmouth Campaign Event

December 11, 2023

Leave A Reply

Recent News

Embattled Harvard President Claudine Gay Accused of Plagiarism

December 11, 2023

Triad Weed: Suspected Chinese Foreign National Arrested Operating Illegal Marijuana Grow in Tenn.

December 11, 2023

NH Man Charged with Threatening to Kill Vivek Ramaswamy, Attendees at Portsmouth Campaign Event

December 11, 2023

Golden & Pingree Sign Letter With 100+ Other Reps Asking for $1.6 Billion Increase to LIHEAP

December 11, 2023

John Fetterman Once Again Breaks With His Party and Suggests That Democrats Should Engage With Republicans on the Border

December 9, 2023
Newsletter

News

  • News
  • Campaigns & Elections
  • Opinion & Commentary
  • Media Watch
  • Education
  • Media

Maine Wire

  • About the Maine Wire
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Submit Commentary
  • Complaints
  • Maine Policy Institute

Resources

  • Maine Legislature
  • Legislation Finder
  • Get the Newsletter
  • Maine Wire TV

Facebook Twitter Instagram Steam RSS
  • Post Office Box 7829, Portland, Maine 04112

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

Sign In or Register

Welcome Back!

Login below or Register Now.

Lost password?

Register Now!

Already registered? Login.

A password will be e-mailed to you.