May 20, 2019
Dental Care Is Healthcare And Healthcare Is A Human Right
The Maine legislature is considering a bill that would provide access to basic dental care for adults and children on MaineCare. “An Act To Improve Dental Health for Maine Children and Adults with Low Incomes” (LD-1453) would be an important step forward for Maine. As someone who’s been impacted by not having access to dental…
Read MoreMay 8, 2019
Portland City Council Plays Politics With 9,000 Workers’ Health
May 8th, 2019 Statement of the Southern Maine Workers’ Center On Monday, the Portland City Council voted 5-4 to reject an ordinance that would have guaranteed earned paid sick days for all Portland workers, regardless of whether they’re part-time, temporary, per diem, or seasonal. City Councilors Spencer Thibodeau (who is running for mayor), Justin Costa…
Read MoreApril 23, 2019
Earned paid sick days: Portland should not wait for the state, unedited
I’ve been involved in the campaign to pass a universal earned paid sick time ordinance in the city of Portland since late June 2017. Over nearly twenty two months, I’ve been impressed by the growth in our coalition and the snowballing of public involvement in the campaign. After the most recent city council hearing, where…
Read MoreJanuary 9th, 2019
NOW- Paid sick days in Portland
The comittee of health and human services will vote on an ordinance that makes sick pay for all in portland a reality.
Read MoreJanuary 9th, 2019
Hearing on Portland’s paid sick leave proposal draws overflow crowd
Dozens of people on both sides of Portland’s proposed paid sick leave ordinance testified Tuesday night before the City Council’s Health and Human Services Committee, the crowd filling both the downstairs and upstairs seating areas of the council chambers. The public hearing went on for more than three hours, but a final recommendation to the…
Read MoreJanuary 9th, 2019
Portland panel to press on with paid sick leave plan after dozens weigh in
Supporters of a proposal to create a paid sick leave ordinance in Portland won a victory Tuesday night when a city committee agreed to create a universal policy for both large and small businesses. But the ordinance has yet to be voted on, and several employers say that a paid sick leave mandate would unfairly…
Read MoreJanuary 9th, 2019
Dozens Weigh In On Portland’s Proposed Paid Sick Leave Ordinance
Supporters of a proposal to create a paid sick leave ordinance in Portland won a victory Tuesday night when a city committee agreed to create a universal policy for both large and small businesses. But the ordinance has yet to be voted on, and several employers say that a paid sick leave mandate would unfairly…
Read MoreJanuary 9th, 2019
Portland hosts hearing on paid sick leave proposal
The Health and Human Services Committee hosted a public hearing in Portland on a proposal to require businesses to offer paid sick leave to employees. The proposal would allow both part-time and full-time workers to earn six days off. Those who support it say it would help reduce the spread of viruses and help families…
Read MoreJanuary 9th, 2019
Portland city councilors back an inclusive paid sick days policy
More than 50 Portland residents, among them small business owners, workers and labor organizers, spoke at a crowded public hearing at Portland City Hall Tuesday evening, urging members of the city’s Health and Human Services and Public Safety Committee to adopt a bold paid sick day law that covers all workers. “When I got sick,…
Read MoreJanuary 9th, 2019
Residents weigh in on plan to require paid sick leave in Portland
Portland city leaders heard from the public Tuesday about a plan to require paid sick leave for anyone who works in the city. If it passes, Portland would become the first community in the state with that requirement. People were standing at the door of Portland’s city chambers Tuesday, waiting to share why paid sick…
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