Jobs and Income Farmworker Rights — An Explainer Print Updated September 17, 2025 Who are Maine’s farmworkers? The people who milk our cows, rake our blueberries, harvest our potatoes, and do the hard work to […] Arthur Phillips Posted August 29, 2024 Tags Explainer, Inequality, Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Poverty, Racial Equity, Unions, Wages
Jobs and Income Portland City Council to consider $20 minimum wage ballot proposal Raising Portland’s minimum wage to $20 by 2028 would have the greatest benefit to workers ages 16 to 34 years old with a high school education or […] Portland Press Herald Posted August 17, 2024 Tags Minimum Wage, Wages
Jobs and Income Portland could vote on minimum wage increase Sykes cited the left-leaning nonprofit Maine Center for Economic Policy in stating that an increase would be especially beneficial for women and people of color. “Raising the […] Spectrum News Posted August 16, 2024 Tags Minimum Wage, Racial Equity, Wages
Taxes and Budget Lawmakers can do better for Maine workers, families and communities Elected leaders in Maine strengthen our communities and address economic challenges through legislation. The major challenge facing Maine’s economy is the state’s plateauing workforce and to solve it we […] Bangor Daily News Posted May 22, 2024 Tags Budget, Direct Care Work, Economic Security, Incomes, Inequality, Job Quality, Jobs, K-12 Education, Minimum Wage, Racial Equity, Unemployment, Wages
Taxes and Budget Unfunded bills are unfinished work The legislature has passed a supplemental budget, but its work for this year remains far from done. Both legislative chambers have approved dozens of bills and they […] James Myall Posted April 24, 2024 Tags Child Care, Direct Care Work, Education, Health Care, Higher Education, Job Quality, Minimum Wage, Overtime, Racial Equity, Wages
Jobs and Income, Taxes and Budget Maine lawmakers have signed off on worker protections — now they must fund their implementation Through 2023 and 2024, the Maine legislature passed seven bills to improve Mainers’ rights at work — but these bills won’t become law unless the Appropriations and […] James Myall Posted April 12, 2024 Tags Budget, Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Wages
Jobs and Income Effort continues to ensure state minimum wage for ME farmworkers About one-quarter of Maine farmworkers live in poverty, and they are roughly 4.5 times as likely to live below the poverty line as other workers in the […] Public News Service Posted March 27, 2024 Tags Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Wages
Jobs and Income Wednesday Sit-Down: Minimum wage for Maine farm workers In this week’s Wednesday Sit-Down, Arthur Phillips, policy analyst from the Maine Center of Economic Policy, sits down with CBS 13 to talk about the minimum wage […] WGME Posted March 27, 2024 Tags Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Wages, Wednesday Sit Down
Jobs and Income Maine lawmakers could still raise the minimum wage to $15 James Myall, a policy analyst with the Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP), asked members of the AFA and Labor and Housing committees to think of the […] Beacon Posted March 6, 2024 Tags Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Wages
Jobs and Income, Maine’s Economy How public policy has and hasn’t increased equity for Black Mainers Black History Month is an opportunity to reflect on the extent to which Maine has seen recent progress on reducing inequalities that impact Black Mainers. Data shows […] James Myall Posted February 27, 2024 Tags Economic Security, Employment, Immigration, Incomes, Inequality, Job Quality, Jobs, Minimum Wage, Poverty, Racial Equity, Unemployment, Wages
