MSEA-SEIU Representational Services Roundup

Aug. 27: MSEA-SEIU members at the City of Auburn celebrate the 17% pay raise they secured in their new three-year contract running through June 30, 2029.

City of Auburn

MSEA-SEIU members in the City of Auburn ratified a new, three-year contract that runs through June 30, 2029. Key gains:

Wage increases –year 1: 4% COLA in July, 2% performance increase; year 2: 3% COLA in July, 2.5% performance increase; and year 3: 3% COLA in July, 2.5% performance increase.

Adds recreation specialists to the clothing allowance and provides that when they work a holiday, they will be credited with a floating holiday.

Employees may convert up to three sick leave days per year for use as personal time.

The Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Law rules and payroll withholdings will begin on May 1, 2026. The required contribution per employee of an individual’s wages, will be split equally between the employee and the City of Auburn. Currently the City is under contract with a private vendor for PFML.

The Union shall be entitled to 30 minutes to orient new employees to the Union without loss of pay. Union Stewards shall be released from work duties without loss of pay to provide new-employee Union orientations.

In the interest of sound relations, a joint committee composed of six members may convene from time to time but no less than twice yearly for the purpose of discussing areas of mutual concern. Neither “Management” nor the “Union” shall appoint more than three members, but may appoint less than three if desired. It shall be the express purpose of the committee to build and maintain a climate of mutual understanding and respect in the solution of common problems.

City of Lewiston

MSEA-SEIU members in our City of Lewiston bargaining unit have ratified a new contract that includes a $2 pay raise across the board. The new contract also adds a new step at the top of the pay scale for those with 27 years of experience and drops the first step. The result is pay raises of anywhere from an 8% to over 14% in the first year of the contract.

In years two and three, the new contract provides for cost of living increases of 3%. The contract also provides increases in stipends, expanded bereavement leave, the right to impact-bargain with management over implementing AI (artificial intelligence), the potential for flexible schedules for all employees, and strengthened language around new employee orientations and union access.

Members of the bargaining team are Anna Brown, Caitlin Hart and Alex Richey. Many of the contract wins were a direct result of the bargaining team’s efforts to bring coworkers into the bargaining sessions and share their stories.

Planned Parenthood of Northern New England

Our members at Planned Parenthood of Northern New England have ratified a three-year contract through June 30, 2029. The bargaining team prioritized wages for the entire bargaining unit in 2026, and the team fought hard and secured major wins in wages in this contract. The focus was on livable wage for all, and also bringing advanced practice clinician (APC) pay closer to a competitive market rate. The bargaining team accomplished both goals.

Effective in the first pay period following ratification of the contract, the minimum/starting wage will be increased to $22/hr.

The starting wage for new APCs wage increased to $56/hr.

For fiscal year 2027, all bargaining unit members will receive at least a 4% raise, and then additionally will be placed on the step that is the next highest.

In future fiscal years, every staff person will move 1 step (2% increase) and then the entire wage table will increase by 2%. This will result in a 4% pay raise for FY28 (end of June 2027) and FY29 (end of June 2028).

The new contract increases differentials and provides increased flexibility on holiday time. It strengthens employer retirement contributions; starting January 1, 2029, staff who have been employed 10-20 years with the organization will receive an increase in employer retirement contribution to 2.25%.

In addition, the new contract improves strengthens contractual language relating to certifications, licensure and professional development, hours of work, job postings and vacancy filing, travel and mileage reimbursement, leaves of absence, labor management committee, layoff and furlough, attendance, and AI and technology.

Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine

Our members at Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine (SARSSM) ratified a new contract in June. They previously agreed to a wage increase of 11% effective Oct. 1, 2025, through a separate memorandum of agreement due to funding timeline requirements. The new contract includes:

Paid Time Off: Combines earned time off and vacation. While the accrual rate is slightly less than prior years with the two combined, workers will also be entitled to an additional forty (40) hours of vacation on the first day of January each year, whether they are probationary or not. Carryover increased from 32 to 40 hours. PTO can be used in whichever increment needed.

Remote Work: Increased from two days a week to three days a week that a worker can work from home.

A.I. and Surveillance: For any new A.I. or surveillance, MSEA must be notified and it must be bargained over.

Training: Workers will receive $250 annually for the life of the contract to go toward training.

Job Security: Added language to restrict contractors and non-unit members from performing bargaining unit work unless a unit member doesn’t currently have a particular skill requirement, but requires SARSSM to work with unit members to gain those skill requirements within a reasonable time.

PFML: SARSSM will cover the worker’s portion that has to be paid to PFML, which results in a .5% increase in wages.

Executive Branch of Maine State Government

After protracted contract negotiations with the Mills administration in which state workers worked over a year under expired contracts, MSEA-SEIU members on Sept. 14 ratified new, two-year contracts good through June 30, 2027.

We are taking the gains we won together — and getting organized for the fights ahead. Our advocacy continues as we:

• Hold the State accountable on the Classification Study, with our members on the Steering Committee pushing for a fair new system.
• Prepare for the next round of bargaining, which will begin in just a few months with a new governor.
• Build a legislative agenda to strengthen workers’ rights and fix the broken labor laws that limit our power.

Below is a summary of the gains we secured in our new contracts:

COMPENSATION (WAGES):

Across the board increases: All state workers will receive 4.5% across the board effective the pay week closest to September 1, 2026.

$2,000 lump sum effective the pay week closest to October 4, 2026.

COMPENSATION (NON-WAGES):

Mileage: increase from 80% to 85% of the federal rate effective November 1, 2026.

Longevity: increase of $.05 for each grouping.

Differentials & Stipends:

DHHS License Renewal Reimbursement

ECS Training Stipend increase to $2

Standby for MEMA and certain DOT workers

Correctional Career Incentive Stipend for Compliance  Program Spec & Chief Corr Industries Manager

Weekend Differential for Fish Culture Supervisor & BGS employees

MOA for OADS Caseworkers that volunteer for OCFS hoteling and ER shifts – additional $2/hour on top of existing $3/hour stipend

OT Compensation for Motor Carrier Inspector Supervisor

Performance Evaluations (interest): for PMFs due after January 1, 2027, if an evaluation is more than 30-days late and it results in a delayed merit increase, employees will receive interest on retroactive payments (1/6% per month).

Reimbursement for Advanced Courses, Licenses, Certifications: Expands use of funds to include reimbursement for maintaining professional licenses or certifications workers are required to have upon request.

Workers Compensation: Employees incapacitated/unable to work as a result of a physical assault in the line of their employment will not suffer any loss in pay or benefits during the waiting period for workers compensation.

BENEFITS

ADA Accommodations: HR is required to issue a written
acknowledgment of an ADA request from employees within 30 days and shall inform the employee by written notice of approved and/or denied accommodations.

Vacation: allows former state employees that are rehired into an MSEA BU position to accrue vacation based on total years of service after their probationary period.

If employees are denied vacation and it results in an overage of leave after December 31st, employees can submit a request to restore that denied leave and use it within the first quarter of the year.

Seasonal employees can elect to be paid out for unused vacation at the end of their seasons or carry over their accruals to their next season.

Bereavement: Leave must be used within 366 days of the death of a qualifying relative, unless there are extenuating circumstances. Qualifying relatives has been expanded to include foster child and sibling-in-law of both the employee and their significant other, and grandparent of significant other. Additionally, employees that experience a miscarriage or stillbirth after thirteen weeks will be eligible for bereavement leave.

Alternate Work Schedules: A six-month pilot program will be created to study where flexibility is being denied, why agencies may be denying alternate work schedules, and if/where flexible work schedules can be expanded.

Creation of a contractual alternative work schedule appeal process.

Recruitment & Retention: Pilot Program that will provide admin leave for employees to attend recruitment and retention committee meetings, including up to 3 hours of admin leave for prep meetings.

Work Clothing: Expands classifications that are eligible for a work clothing allowance to include Machinist, Welder/Fabricator, & TCLs involved in heavy vehicle & equipment fabrication.

Military Leave: increases leave from seventeen work days to twenty work days per calendar year.

Grievance Procedure: added language to help the parties move grievances through the grievance process faster.

Rest and Lunch Periods: removes language that will help ensure workers that came in late or leave early due to closures can still take their lunch if they choose to.

Labor Management Committees: l/m committees will be created to address the MRS Tax Examiner Progression Program, implementation of recommendations from the Maine AI Task Force, any issues that may arise for EUT Cooks, the catastrophic leave bank and improvements that could be made, and vehicle passes that ferry service workers receive.

Non-Discrimination: incorporates the bullying policy into the contract and expands protected classes.

Health & Safety: add language that requires the State to correct or mitigate unsafe vehicles or equipment in a timely manner. Additionally, adds language that if unsafe conditions or unsanitary conditions are raised in worksites or State housing, the State must investigate and remedy or mitigate those conditions and should provide alternate workplaces or housing if conditions are found to be present.

Immigration: adds protections for immigrant workers within the State, including what happens in the event that an immigrant worker is detained, and requires notice to MSEA of possible enforcement actions. Immigrant State workers will also be given four hours of admin leave to attend their citizenship ceremony.

Other Memoranda of Understanding:

MOU for EUT – changes made to enable labor/management meetings to take place, including that only two representatives from the unorganized territory schools will be necessary, that the committee will meet every month, and will now include cooks as well. Additionally, adds language about creating new or additional stipends for extracurricular activities.

Addition of Cooks in EUT – outlines placement of Cooks and additional benefits, such as an annual allowance for food safe/slip safe footwear and reimbursement for any needed testing fees or certifications.

Please note: MSEA will have to withdraw our two outstanding prohibited practice complaints regarding bad faith bargaining with this agreement.