Canney CommunicationsArchive for 2010
Labor Day & Maine missing out on millions —-
MAINE MISSING OUT ON MILLIONS – ENHANCED EFFORT TO END WORKER MISCLASSIFCATION
(Sept. 6, 2010)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PORTLAND, ME – The Maine State Building and Construction Trades Council (MSBCTC) will hold a press conference to describe ongoing efforts to identify and eliminate worker misclassification in Maine. Maine Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman will speak at the event following the Southern Maine Labor Council’s annual Labor Day Breakfast at the Maine Irish Heritage Center (34 Gray Street, Portland). The press conference will begin at 11:30 a.m. on the magnificent front steps of the historic converted cathedral.
Worker Misclassification occurs when an employee is improperly classified as an independent contractor.
“This is another step in the right direction, for too long people have been hurt by working under the table in the construction industry. When it comes to publicly funded projects we need to make sure that all laws are being followed. Each year Maine loses out on significant amounts of uncollected revenue. For the worker, the problems are significant often they are underpaid, they have no health insurance or workers compensation. When misclassified workers are injured on the job – in many cases they end up in the emergency room because they have no choice and that means Mainers again foot the bill with increased insurance costs. When misclassified workers show up to collect unemployment or workers comp they do not have any benefits to collect. Maine taxpayers and Maine workers lose when employees are misclassified.” said John Napolitano, president of the Maine State Building and Construction Trades Council.
Maine’s construction unions and organized labor in general have long advocated for more aggressive action against violations of labor and employment law, particularly the misclassification of employees as independent contractors. In January of 2009, Governor John Baldacci created the Governor’s Joint Task Force on Employee Misclassification. Since that time, the Department of Labor and other state agencies have met regularly to highlight the issue of worker misclassification. In conjunction with the Governor’s task force, L.D. 1565 was passed this past April, which authorized the issuance of a “Stop-Work Order” on a job site where worker misclassification is found.
MSBCTC has reinforced these governmental efforts through legislative testimony, by providing examples and personal stories of misclassification, distributing misclassification “Tip Forms” to its members to facilitate enforcement, and helping to educate employers regarding compliance with employment laws. Maine’s labor unions and other workers’ organizations will continue to shed light on this growing problem within construction and other industries, and to further collaborate with state agencies in the enforcement of laws protecting Maine workers.
LINKS TO PERTINENT INFORMATION
CORNELL STUDY http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1009&context=reports
HARVARD STUDY
MSBCTC FACEBOOK PAGE
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Maine-State-Building-and-Construction-Trades-Council
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Crystal Canney 207-615-5968 crystal@canneycomm.com
Will McClaran 207-841-3628 will@canneycomm.com
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Share ThisMAINE HAS AN OPPORTUNITY AND THE TIME IS NOW
Maine stands on the brink of a great opportunity which will benefit 95% of its residents. The opportunity is Question 1 and it’s on the June 8th ballot. The problem with campaigns is that messages which are complicated can get lost. In this case I am deeply concerned that an opportunity will slip away. I work for the NO on question 1 side and am encouraging you to vote NO on June 8th.
Question 1 gets complicated right out of the gate because it’s asking whether you want to repeal a law that was passed in 2009. It’s a law many might not be familiar with and its repeal would have negative impacts for 95% of Maine people.
Here are some of the key reasons you should vote No on question 1.:
1. It’s more money in your pocket. It drops the income tax rate from 8.5% to 6.5% for everyone who earns under 250,000 which is just about everyone I know, and if you earn more than that the rate is 6.85% So what does that ultimately mean? 95% of Maine people will see their income taxes go down and it will put more money in your pocket. It raises sales taxes on some items AND increases the meals and lodging taxes so that out of state tourists will finally start paying their fair share. When any of us travel out of state we get hit with a much higher tax on meals and lodging, rental cars you name it. It’s time we stop giving Maine away. FYI – it’s still a bargain, even with the increase Maine will only be at 8.5% on meals and lodging tax while neighboring New Hampshire and Vermont are at 9% currently. The Maine Revenue Service estimates that Maine will get about 50 million dollars in tax relief from tourists and non-resident income taxpayers. Why is that important? It’s more money in your pocket.
2. It’s a chance to be smarter about our sales tax base. Maine hasn’t seen tax relief and reform in 40 years. While it’s a bit in the weeds, there are some really practical applications here that effect us. 35% of the sales tax base is comprised of construction materials and auto sales. When we have a down economy, a significant portion of our sales tax base falls with it. This expansion of the sales tax will allow the state to better survive a down economy. It’s a chance to be smarter because there is a more predictable revenue stream. Planning would be easier if you had a more predictable figure. The Wall Street Journal called LD 1495 the “Maine Miracle” because it stabilizes a volatile sales tax base among other things.
3. A NO vote is good for business . Good business means good jobs and better lives for people in Maine. The Bangor, Portland, Androscoggin and State Chambers of Commerce have all come out in support of the NO vote. The steering committee chair of our campaign is Wick Johnson from Augusta who owns and operates Kennebec Technologies. Bruce Wagner, the CEO of Barber Foods in Portland has also been very vocal in his support as has lumber mill owner John Cashwell and Bangor businessman Dan Tremble. Why are these business leaders supporting this? Because they have watched the effects of the income tax rate and know with more money in their pocket they will be able to invest and grow.
Bruce Wagner talks about how important it is to put more money in his employees pockets so they can make the decision how and if they want to spend it. Wagner often talks publicly about the difficulty of attracting out of state employees and how he would like to see his sons, who have moved to Maine, be able to stay here but that the income tax rate is a serious drawback.
And, there is one other sentiment out there that has developed over the last few years which I believe as we go to the polls we need to think about. We elect our Legislature to do the minutiae and hard work for us as a citizenry. If we don’t like what they do – we should vote them out. Despite this, every time you turn around a decision that’s been made by the very people we all elected to office seems to need go to referendum again – in some cases driven by out of state special interests groups.
Voting no on question 1 is an opportunity we should not turn our backs on.
Welcome to Canney Communications
Well here it is, the day I have been talking about for a very long time. I am sure those of you who read this, who have been supportive, and who have allowed me to take the soap box out – are happy I finally have a blog.
I am excited about being a small-business owner in Maine and proud I am a native Mainer. It’s exciting to be working with people, companies and ideas that will benefit this state. We often hear about what is wrong with Maine, but I am a believer that there is much good out there, in fact I am sure of it.
Just look at the number of people who want to be Governor – with all they will face they are running in droves to be the leader of this state. During my year in the Governor’s Office as the communications director and two-and-a-half years as the Associate Commissioner of the Department of Administrative and Financial Services the decisions made were grappled with and hashed out by the executive branch and the legislature-often into hours of the night when most people would be soundly asleep. As we have all watched and lived the economic collapse, it is also clear there are great challenges ahead. The work that will be waiting for the new Governor will be difficult, trying at best, until the economic climate turns around and offers a moment to breathe.
There are good people in this race – Democrats, Republicans and Independents. I firmly believe that Maine people will, as they always have, look past the candidates who offer little more than a glossy veneer. I believe they will look for someone with a proven record, a deep and abiding desire to do what’s right for the people who live here and a passion that will sustain them through the most difficult moments.
There are skilled people in the media who will hold candidates accountable and offer insights into who these 23 (+/-) candidates are as opinions form over the next few months and as we head towards the primary. This is one of the most fascinating races I can remember, and I am not talking about just the number of candidates.
And as they say- stay tuned……………….