Rest in Power, Sister Kathy Latulippe!

Kathy Latulippe and her dog, Chelsea, shown on her doorstep in November 2022 showing support for reelecting Senator Craig Hickman.

It’s with heavy hearts we share that one of our longtime leaders, MSEA-SEIU Area 2 Retirees Chapter Member Kathy Latulippe, has died. Our condolences go to her family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time.

Both as a retiree member and before that as a working member, Kathy always took a leadership role in advocating for all of us and the quality services we provide to Maine people. During her 40-year career in public service, she provided administrative support to six agencies in Maine State Government. Prior to her retirement in 2016, she worked as an Office Specialist 1 for the Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services.

As a state employee, Kathy took a leadership role in our Gardiner Chapter, where she served as a chapter president, vice president and delegate for many years. She served as a nonsupervisory union steward from 2004 until her retirement. As a member-leader, she helped push the 2007 compensation and classification study for Maine DAFS over the finish line.

Kathy also served as our union’s secretary from 2009 to 2010 and as a member of our Board of Directors for six years representing Area 2. She served on our union negotiating team for many rounds of Executive Branch bargaining. In addition to attending rallies in support of our issues, she also served on many of our committees, including Finance, Organizing, PASER (Political Action by Service Employees and Retirees), Constitution & By-laws, Resolutions, and Membership Benefits. She represented us at several conventions of our international union, SEIU.

Kathy continued her advocacy for all of us in retirement. She served as president of our Area 2 Retirees Chapter in 2018 and 2019, and also served as a union delegate. She served as an alternate on our Retirees Steering Committee.

In a note she wrote for our union’s newspaper, Maine Stater, while serving on our Board of Directors, Kathy shared her approach to advocating for workers’ rights.

“I have worked very hard to see that member’s voices are heard and addressed,” Kathy wrote. “It is sometimes a slow process but I am persistent and believe I make a difference. To be a strong and effective union, we must continue to work with the Legislature to assure that we are treated fairly. The Legislature plays an important role in our lives. They not only (fund) our negotiated contract but approve our department’s budgets and positions. That is why we encourage members to come to the Legislature to be seen and heard.”

Continuing, Kathy wrote of the importance of every worker have a voice in their wages, benefits and working conditions. “Continued growth through organizing new groups helps us by pushing up people in our communities so that they can benefit by having secure jobs with living wages and benefits. We can no longer tolerate big companies from hiring only part-time employees to avoid providing affordable health care, placing a strain on out MaineCare system.”

In addition to her service to our union, Kathy also was an active member of the Order of the Eastern Star and the Fraternal Order of Elks.

We’ll post an obituary as soon as it appears. Rest in Power, Sister Kathy Latulippe!

Kathy Latulippe makes a point during a meeting at our former union hall.

Shown at right, Kathy Latulippe talks with another participant at the 2004 NNEC-SEIU Summer Labor Studies Institute.

With our Executive Branch contract booklets akways within reach, Kathy Latulippe served on several of our Executive Branch bargaining teams.

Kathy Latulippe joins in a retreat during her six years of service on our MSEA-SEIU Board of Directors.