NewsWorker RightsWorkers

June 10, 2022

SMWC Worker Support Hotline Pause June 10-September 5, 2022

The Southern Maine Workers’ Center is pausing our Worker Support Hotline from June 10-September 5 to focus on updating our WORK Manual, launching this year’s series of workers’ rights trainings, and reflecting on our hotline data to help us be more intentional about how our hotline can best support Maine workers. In the meantime, please check out…

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EventsWorkers

December 21st, 2021

Celebrating Arlo

Arlo has transitioned away from his role at SMWC, which gives us all a special occasion to come together to lift up all the direct support, power, victories, and relationships they have built and dedicated themselves to these last 5 years. Please join us next Tuesday between 12:00PM and 1:00 PM to record some thoughts and appreciations for them. 

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MembersWorkers

August 9, 2018

Judge Brett Kavanaugh is a danger to workers.

On July 28, 2018, I spoke at a rally in opposition to the nomination of Supreme Court Nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh. While I was generally aware of the concerns about Kavanaugh’s nomination, I wasn’t as familiar with his opinions on workers’ right.  Looking into it was chilling. I’m sharing my comments from the rally so people can learn more…

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MembersWorkers

March 2, 2018

“There is no Good Society without a Good Union”: a Faith Perspective on the Janus Case

“There is no Good Society without a Good Union”: a Faith Perspective on the Janus Case By Father Mike Seavey On Monday February 26, 2018; the US Supreme Court heard arguments in the case of Janus vs. AFSCME. The case focused on a public employee labor union’s right to collect “agency fees” from employees who…

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StatementsWorkers

July 9, 2017

We Won’t Let our Rights be Traded Away Behind Closed Doors

We Won’t Let our Rights be Traded Away Behind Closed Doors Late at night on Friday, June 30th, a compromise budget failed to pass in the state house, triggering a shutdown of Maine state government, which ended late on July 3rd. While we are grateful that this manufactured crisis has ended, we know that the…

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NewsWorkers

May 5, 2017

Test for Tip in Cash Page

Join the movement. Sign the pledge to tip in cash today! Wage Theft is the illegal underpayment or non-payment of workers’ wages. Workers lose billions of dollars when their employers pay less than minimum wage; refuse overtime pay; force workers to work off the clock; hold back final paychecks; misclassify employees as independent contractors… or…

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MembersWorkers

January 5, 2016

Guest Blog: Catholic Teachings and Workplace Justice

What Catholics Believe: The Seventh Commandment, Part 2 Do Not Steal; Treat Workers Justly By Father Michael J Seavey Reprinted from The Harvest: The Magazine of the Catholic Diocese of Portland January/February 2016, p.10 If we were to see a story on workplace theft, we might imagine an armed robbery with masked intruders emptying the…

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MembersWorkers

July 31, 2015

Why we need a universal wage: Heather shares her story about tipped work

On July 20th, members of SMWC’s Work With Dignity Committee attended the Portland City Council’s workshop session on tipped credit and the new minimum wage ordinance. The ordinance needs to meaningfully include tipped workers by raising their base wage (the amount the employer actually pays hourly), as well as the minimum wage they have to earn up to once…

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StatementsWorkers

July 14, 2015

Universality: Tipped Workers and the New Minimum Wage

Portland’s Municipal Minimum Wage is Strengthened by the Inclusion of Tipped Workers As many people have heard, Portland City Council is backing away from the minimum wage ordinance they passed on Monday, because it calls for a raise in the base wages of tipped workers. Our Work With Dignity Committee, which has advocated for increased…

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StatementsWorkers

July 14, 2015

We Won!

We Did It! After a year long campaign, Portland will raise the minimum wage to $10.10 in January! Throughout this past year, the Southern Maine Workers’ Center has been at the center of an organizing effort for a universal, enforceable, living wage in Portland. SMWC members worked in partnership with low-wage workers, faith leaders and…

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