Two unions agree to Paul LePage's 'right to work' contract language

Two of the state’s largest public sector labor unions have agreed to eliminate the requirement that all employees pay union fees whether or not they are members.

David Heidrich, a spokesman for the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, said Thursday morning that both the Maine State Employees Association, which represents more than 9,000 executive branch employees, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents approximately 800 corrections officers and mental health workers, notified the state Wednesday that they have ratified two-year contracts.

Both unions eliminated agency fees in exchange for higher raises than the state was offering otherwise. Both unions will receive raises of 6 percent spread over the next two years, according to Heidrich.

MSEA negotiators had tentatively agreed to that deal but AFSCME negotiators had initially refused to budge on the agency fees elimination and had agreed to a total 1 percent raise. AFSCME’s members rejected that agreement last week but ratified the second deal Wednesday, said Heidrich in an email to the Bangor Daily News. Union officials did not immediately respond to questions.

Read more: http://www.sunjournal.com/news/maine/0001/11/30/gov-paul-lepage/2192153