July 12, 2021
Portland’s restaurant industry should be a place where people can work with dignity
Published in the Portland Press Herald on May 19th, 2021(link to original here) Restaurant series doesn’t represent Portland food workers’ perspective Unsafe conditions and the lack of a living wage and health insurance are driving people away – not reluctance to work. BY KATIE KEATING AND HEATHER FORAN (SMWC Board Co-Chair) In the recent series…
Read MoreApril 29, 2021
Know Your Rights – Maine’s Earned Paid Leave Law
Conheça seus direitos – disponível em PortuguesConoce tus derechos- Disponible en EspañolConnaissez vos droits: disponible en français What is Earned Paid Leave ?Also known as Public Law 2019 Ch. 156, “An Act Authorizing Earned Employee Leave,” Maine’s Earned Paid Leave law (EPL) went into effect on New Year’s Day 2021, a year and a half…
Read MoreApril 2, 2021
SMWC is hiring an Executive Director! (Extended Deadline)
About the Southern Maine Workers Center The Southern Maine Workers’ Center (SMWC) is a membership organization committed to creating a people-powered movement that improves the lives, working conditions, and terms of employment for working and poor people in Maine— particularly low-wage workers, young people, immigrant workers, and people of color. SMWC conducts transformative grassroots organizing…
Read MoreMarch 23, 2021
Requesting Proposals for Graphic Design Services
Requesting Proposals for Graphic Design Services
Read MoreMarch 10, 2021
Cantastoria Launch (03.26.21)
03/26/21 7:00-8:30 PM Cantastoria is a virtual storytelling event to spark conversation about our co-occurring economic and health crises, and build community-driven solutions. The panels contain painted scenes or imagery that depict history and inspire a hopeful vision for change in a time when many in Maine are suffering from the impacts of the COVID-19…
Read MoreFebruary 4, 2021
The Light You Gave Me
The Southern Maine Workers’ Center is so excited to announce that Ronny Flannery is re-joining our staff as the Joint Committee Organizer starting this week. Ronny worked with us as the Health Care is a Human Right organizer in 2016/17, before moving to California. Ronny brought a lot of skills and gifts as an organizer…
Read MoreJanuary 27, 2021
Big changes at the Workers’ Center
Dear Workers’ Center community, We are excited to announce some bittersweet news and major transitions at the Southern Maine Workers’ Center. After five years serving as our Executive Director, Drew Joy is stepping down to take on another role in the organization. Our former Board Chair Meaghan LaSala will serve as the Interim Executive Director…
Read MoreDecember 17, 2020
SMWC is hiring! Joint Committee Organizer.
Joint Committee Organizer Job Description The Joint Committee Organizer is a permanent (ongoing) staff position with the immediate goal of supporting members in building out our new Joint Committee project through outreach and leadership development. The Joint Organizing Committee is a new project at the Southern Maine Workers’ Center. For years, we have organized campaigns…
Read MoreDecember 9, 2020
How did we get here? A brief history of healthcare and formation of ACA
This is the second in a series of brief articles by members of the Southern Maine Workers Center’s Health Care is a Human Right Committee. We have covered current challenges to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the ACA in the broader context of American health care history, and will soon cover how successful or not…
Read MoreNovember 23, 2020
What’s Going On with the Affordable Care Act?
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as Obamacare, is back in the Supreme Court this year and the court heard oral arguments last Tuesday, November 10. The case, California V Texas, is challenging the constitutionality of the law’s “individual mandate” that requires everyone purchase health insurance or pay a penalty. The case will likely be decided in June. In this short article, we will explore the legal challenge and it’s potential outcome and consequences.
Read MoreNovember 7th, 2020
All Member Meeting: What Do We Do Now?
Saturday November, 7th @ 10am – 11:30am Register here:https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLScrRJXoRv5YtY…/viewform We don’t need to tell you what this election season means, what’s at stake, or how the outcome will affect you and your loved ones. What we want to do is provide a space where we can lay all of this bare, share the fear/rage/hope in…
Read MoreOctober 2, 2020
Workers Support Hotline Shut Down October 2nd thru November 9th 2020
The Southern Maine Workers’ Center is suspending the worker support hotline service beginning Friday, Oct 2nd until Monday, November 9th. We are using this time to do a much needed overhaul of our volunteer program, intake process and legal referral system. Since the pandemic began in late March the hotline has experienced a surge in…
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