Jobs and Income Increasing Maine’s minimum wage to $16 would boost wages for more than 350,000 Mainers Mainers’ wages have risen in recent years thanks in part to increases in the minimum wage approved by voters in 2016. Those increases have led to raises […] James Myall Posted April 12, 2021 Tags Coronavirus, Economic Security, Job Quality, Minimum Wage, Wages
Jobs and Income Anti-minimum wage bills would cut Mainers’ wages by $193 million, with big impact on essential workers A strong minimum wage supports Maine’s workers and creates an economy that is stronger for all of us. But year after year, opponents of the minimum wage […] James Myall Posted April 12, 2021 Tags Coronavirus, Economic Security, Job Quality, Minimum Wage, Wages
Jobs and Income Maine must end carveouts that take workers’ rights away from essential farmers and food producers Everyone deserves the same basic protections and rights on the job. Laws guaranteeing the minimum wage, overtime, and the right to form a union are foundational to creating […] James Myall Posted April 7, 2021 Tags Inequality, Job Quality, Minimum Wage, Racial Equity, Unions, Wages
Jobs and Income At-will employment is cover for discrimination. Maine should abolish it to protect workers from unfair firing No worker should be fired from their job without a good reason. That’s why we have anti-discrimination laws, which protect Mainers from being fired on the basis […] James Myall Posted March 24, 2021 Tags Employment, Inequality, Job Quality, Jobs
Jobs and Income Extra pay for extra work: How Maine can restore overtime pay for 28,000 Mainers When Mainers work long hours, they deserve to be compensated fairly for their extra work. Overtime protections exist to ensure extra work is rewarded with extra pay, […] James Myall Posted March 22, 2021 Tags Incomes, Job Quality, Overtime, Wages
Jobs and Income Lawmakers discuss bill to restore overtime protection James Myall, a policy analyst for the Maine Center for Economic Policy, said most people think of a typical work week as being 40 hours. He said […] Fox Bangor Posted March 22, 2021 Tags Job Quality, Jobs, Overtime, Wages
Jobs and Income Wage theft costs workers millions. This bill would help workers get what they’re owed. All Mainers are entitled to the wages they earn, and no one should have their wages stolen by their employer. While most employers play by the rules […] James Myall Posted March 17, 2021 Tags Incomes, Job Quality, Minimum Wage, Overtime, Wages
Jobs and Income Pandemic workplace risks reveal the need for more worker safety protections With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continuing to claim more than 1,500 lives in the United States every day, the need for safe workplaces is clearer than ever […] James Myall Posted February 11, 2021 Tags Coronavirus, Job Quality, Jobs
Jobs and Income, Maine’s Economy REPORT: State of Working Maine 2020 Download the PDF version Download Introduction: Race Equity Means A Stronger, Fairer Economy for All Mainers Race equity means: A stronger, fairer economy Better job opportunities Realizing […] James Myall Posted November 9, 2020 Tags Economic Security, Economy, Education, Higher Education, Incomes, Inequality, Job Quality, Racial Equity, Wages
Jobs and Income As Maine reopens, 89,000 workers still lack paid sick leave The big business carve-out exempts many workers in Maine who work for large retail chains. Among those workers who did not have leave protections, 31,000 are ineligible […] Beacon Posted May 18, 2020 Tags Coronavirus, Job Quality, Jobs, Paid Sick Days