Maine’s largest union representing state employees has filed a formal complaint accusing the Mills administration of refusing to negotiate in good faith, escalating an already tense standoff over expired labor contracts.
The Maine Service Employees Association Local 1989, which represents roughly 10,000 state workers, filed its grievance Monday with the Maine Labor Relations Board. The union says the administration violated state law by prematurely declaring an impasse in negotiations and refusing to engage on multiple unresolved proposals.
According to the union, the administration halted talks last month without addressing its key priorities, including long-standing recruitment and retention issues tied to what the union describes as uncompetitive wages. The complaint accuses state negotiators of “regressive bargaining” and canceling sessions following the impasse declaration.
Union president Mark Brunton said workers have repeatedly warned the administration that high turnover and low pay are eroding state services and driving employees away from public service. He said the union has presented several options to stabilize the workforce.
“Unfortunately, after nearly a year of trying to get the administration to negotiate in good faith for our contracts, last month, the administration chose to declare a premature impasse without even bothering to discuss a third of the proposals we put forward. They simply refuse to listen to our members and respond to our concerns,” Brunton said in a statement.
The complaint asks the labor board to force state management to withdraw its impasse declaration and “cease and desist” from what it alleges are bad-faith tactics.
A spokesperson for the Department of Financial and Administrative Services (DFAS) pushed back, saying the state rejects the accusation and has negotiated transparently. The administration also pointed to more than $1.15 billion in wage increases approved under Gov. Janet Mills, which it says amounts to an average 24 percent pay increase across state government.
The dispute now moves to the Maine Labor Relations Board, which oversees collective bargaining laws for public-sector workers.
