(The Center Square) – Maine’s largest public sector union has filed a complaint against the Mills administration accusing officials of negotiating in “bad faith” over a new contract for unionized workers.
In the complaint, filed with the state Labor Relations Board, the Maine Service Employees Association, Local 1989 of the Service Employees International Union accused Gov. Janet Mills’ administration of violating state labor laws by prematurely declaring an impasse in the contract talks and of engaging in behavior “designed to frustrate the collective bargaining process.”
Mark Brunton, president of MSEA-SEIU Local 1989, which represents about 10,000 state workers, said the Mills administration declared an impasse before considering several of the union’s alternative proposals. He said the complaint asks the labor board to order the state to withdraw its impasse declaration and return to the negotiating table “in good faith.”
“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,” he said in a statement. “They simply refuse to listen to our members and respond to our concerns.”
The Mills administration, in a statement, said state labor officials dispute the union’s allegations and plan to respond to the complaint by a Dec. 15 deadline. It said negotiations would continue.
The Mills administration noted that base wages for state employees have increased by 24% since 2019 when the now second-term Democrat took over the governor’s office. State workers have also received merit increases, longevity pay and other financial benefits under Mills’ tenure, the administration said.
But Brunton said the Mills administration has attempted “for years” to avoid negotiating directly with unionized state workers, “dragging negotiations out for as long as possible, then presenting a take-it-or-leave-it last, best and final offer.”
“This administration has gone to great lengths, including violating the basic foundations of labor law,” he said. “We’ve had to file seven prohibited practice complaints against this administration in the last five years alone.”
Union officials said they are pushing for better pay and benefits for state workers, whose compensation lags behind their private sector counterparts. They cited a 2024 Mills administration report showing a 14% pay gap for state workers had only decreased by 1% from 2020 estimates.
“One-percent progress in five years is, quite frankly, ridiculous,” MSEA-SEIU Vice President Kevin Russell said in a statement. “The administration can, and must, do better.”
