Roundup: Our 83rd MSEA-SEIU Annual Meeting

Elected delegates at our 2026 MSEA-SEIU Annual Meeting cast one of many votes over the two-day gathering at Augusta Civic Center.

At our 83^rd MSEA-SEIU Annual Meeting held Oct. 9-10 at the Augusta Civic Center, in addition to approving the governance-reform initiative known as MSEA2030, over 130 elected delegates voted in elections for our Board of Directors and Finance Committee, approved other resolutions and passed our 2027 MSEA-SEIU General Operating Budget.

UNION ELECTIONS
Delegates elected or reelected the following MSEA-SEIU Members:

• Board of Directors: Area 1: Amanda Roy; (another Area 1 Board seat remains vacant); and Executive Committee: Bernice Michaud; Area 2: Amy Hill, Mary Matthews and Alternate Jackie Neas; and Executive Committee: Rob Doody; Area 3: James McClay and Ann Makeymowicz; and Executive Committee: Kevin Staples; Retirees: Robyn Egan, Ginette Rivard and Alternate John Patrick; and Executive Committee: Robyn Egan
• Voluntary Employee Benefits Association (VEBA) Committee: Area 1: Jim Willis and Alternate Sarah Fitzmaurice; Area 2: Elizabeth Ahlgren and Alternate Wendy St. Amand; Area 3: Lauren Veneri and Robyn Westleigh
• Finance Committee: Jane Gilbert, Jeff Doyon and Joe Allen

The late MSEA-SEIU Members James Brown, at left, and Dwayne Campbell

REMEMBERING OUR FALLEN BROTHERS AT MAINEDOT
Delegates joined in a moment of silence remembering our two fallen brothers at MaineDOT.

On the morning of January 13, 2026, James Brown and Dwayne Campbell went to work in Waterville just like they had a thousand times before. They were working on an I-95 bridge, keeping Maine moving. But that morning, both were struck and killed by a motorist.

“It was the nightmare that spouses of members have told me they fear most when they kiss their loved one goodbye in the morning. And it would have been even worse if not for the split-second heroism of a coworker who pushed another to safety,” MSEA-SEIU Executive Director Alec Maybarduk said in his remarks to the delegates.

“The loss of James and Dwayne shattered their families, their crew, and our entire union family,” Alec said. “From that profound grief came a burning anger as it revealed that production was prioritized over the lives of the very people who make everything possible. It also exposed a glaring inequity in Maine’s death benefit law; we heard from the families that they would receive no help from the State, after their loved ones made the ultimate sacrifice in serving the people of Maine.

“We rallied around Brother Tyler Brown—a Transportation Crew Leader who is James’s son and Dwayne’s stepbrother.

“We mourned, and we organized.

“We fought for emergency legislation to rewrite the state’s death benefit law to cover every MaineDOT worker on our roads, backdated so James and Dwayne’s families will get the support they are owed. MSEA-endorsed candidate Representative Amy Roeder championed the bill. And when Tyler Brown submitted his deeply personal, heartbreaking testimony, we ensured his voice echoed through the halls of the Legislature.

“Because of that fight, the Legislature passed the bill, and it was signed into law. We also formed a new DOT workers’ organizing committee to make safety central to DOT’s mission for both our members and the public — and to prevent tragedies like this from happening again.

“That is what MSEA is all about,” Alec said. “We look out for each other. We fight for each other. We bring solutions to the problems in services because we do the work, know what is possible, and what is needed to achieve it.  And when we are knocked down, we fight back together. As we continue our work today, let’s carry  the memory of James, Dwayne into our fight for a safer, fairer future.”

RESOLUTIONS APPROVED
In addition to approving the MSEA2030 resolutions, delegates also approved a resolution allowing the Board to take up to $50,000 out of the operating reserve, if needed, if revenue proves insufficient to continue to meet MSEA-SEIU Local 1989’s financial obligations. They approved a resolution thanking the MSEA-SEIU member-activists and staff for their hard work, dedication and professionalism.

2027 MSEA-SEIU GENERAL OPERATING BUDGET APPROVED
On the recommendation of our Finance Committee and Board of Directors, delegates approved  our 2027 MSEA-SEIU General Operating Budget. It accomplishes four main goals: maintain programs amid rising costs; increases the resources for Organizing and Field operations to fight and win for our members and to recruit new members; fund initiatives to democratize our union; and invest in new organizing.

In developing the budget, the Finance Committee utilized reserves that accumulated more quickly than expected, and cut back on discretionary costs.

According to the Finance Committee, cost drivers for the 2027 budget include: inflation as a whole; inflation is up 3.5% over the year at the time the proposed budget was created. Other cost drivers: personnel and contractual obligations to the MSEA staff, including step increases, salary adjustments and increased insurance premium rates; increased costs relating to officer elections; and increased costs in taxes, fees, insurance and postage. In addition, other cost drivers include investments in overdue technology upgrades, additional resources for organizing new bargaining units that want to join our union; additional resources to help expedite cases in arbitration; increased costs for professional development and member training; and additional communications capacity.

To achieve savings, the Finance Committee made adjustments that include aligning the budget with actual expenses, eliminating consulting services that are no longer needed, and transitioning the Maine Stater to electronic delivery to reduce printing and mailing costs.

2027 MSEA-SEIU ANNUAL MEETING
Our next Annual Meeting takes place Oct. 8-9, 2027, at Augusta Civic Center.

Delegates voted to hold our 2028 Annual Meeting in Bangor.