Over 1,100 state workers send letters to Governor Mills asking her to close the state employee pay gap

A delegation of state employees who work as office assistants, public health educators, comprehensive health planners, interdisciplinary instruction specialists, health program managers, tax examiners, eligibility specialists and emergency medical education training coordinators delivered to Governor Janet Mills on Nov. 16 over 1,100 letters from their coworkers asking her to close the state employee pay gap. The letter delivery came as state workers in the Executive Branch of Maine State Government began their fifth month of working without a contract. The Mills administration and the workers are in contract negotiations via a mediator. “Throughout all departments of Maine State Government, our worksites are understaffed and we are underpaid and overworked,” the state workers wrote to Governor Mills. “All the while, the State has record budget surpluses that have come at the expense of substantially underpaying us for the quality services we consistently provide to all Maine people. Studies in 2009 and again in 2020 show that state workers are underpaid compared to the wages earned by our public and private sector counterparts throughout Maine and New England. The 2020 study showed that on average, state workers are underpaid by 15 percent, and it’s even worse for many classifications – accountants are underpaid 20 to 33%; chemists, 24%; civil engineers, 20 to 25%; mechanics, 31%; and correctional officers, 16%.”

State employees cite latest projected state budget surplus in demanding Mills administration present plan to address understaffing, close pay gap

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MSEA-SEIU members who belong to MSEA-SEIU PASER (Political Action by Service Employees and Retirees) hold Maine’s elected leaders accountable. We do this to make sure quality public services are available for everyone in Maine and that all Maine workers are treated with respect. We need your help in this effort TODAY so we can win for Maine workers TOMORROW.

MSEA-SEIU PASER (Political Action by Service Employees and Retirees) is our union’s political action fund. Through PASER, we can fight harder and smarter for the quality of life issues that affect our members. PASER helps us fight back against budget cuts to public services and threats to our contractual rights with member activities, electoral campaign work and legislative advocacy, locally, statewide and nationwide.

A strong PASER enables us to allocate resources for specific political work in support of quality public services for everyone in Maine and respect for all Maine workers.

Membership in PASER enables us to send a stronger message to Maine’s elected leaders that MSEA-SEIU members take the political process seriously. Every day, elected officials make choices affecting our jobs. That means every election is an opportunity for us to elect leaders who understand the importance of quality public services for all Maine people and treat Maine workers with respect.

By making monthly, automatic contributions to our union’s political action program, Political Action by Service Employees and Retirees (PASER), we can all help hold our elected state and national leaders accountable. This strengthens our ability to negotiate and fund strong contracts, protect the healthcare of members who have it, secure healthcare for MSEA-SEIU members who lack it, and strengthen the retirement security of all of our members.

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