Communications Director of the Maine AFL-CIO Andy O’Brien, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the Maine Legislation LD 1756 to ban captive audience meetings. O’Brien also talked about two other bills that could benefit union members and efforts to implement strong labor standards and protections for offshore wind facilities.
Maine has joined a growing number of states trying to ban anti-union captive audience meetings. Bill LD 1756 seeks to ensure workers are not forced to participate in captive audience meetings by the employer. Those who support the bill say captive audience meetings are considered coercion and a violation of the first amendment. However, opponents of the bill say the ban would violate the employers First Amendment rights, O’Brien said.
O’Brien discussed two other bills that could help improve working conditions for multiple unions in the state. LD 1639 would create legally enforceable nurse-to-patient ratios at all hospitals, a national problem, but one that plagues Maine’s nursing unions. LD 398 deals with farmworkers not being considered workers. Farmers only qualify for the federal minimum wage, and cannot receive the state mandated minimum wage or benefits. The bill hopes to resolve this issue.
Finally, as offshore wind farms begin to take shape off the coast of Maine, the Maine AFL-CIO wants to ensure the jobs are all subject to proper labor standards and protections. There are two bills, one for the building of ports and the other for the insulation on the wind turbines, that look to create Project Labor Agreements for all the work involved. If passed, these bills would help ensure that unions would be on the front lines of the growing wind energy industry.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more.