MSEA Concedes to Governor, Accepts Proposal for New Labor Contract

AUGUSTA – After more than two years of hard bargaining and defending himself against multiple lawsuits filed with the Maine Labor Relations Board (MLRB), Governor Paul R. LePage has reached agreement with the Maine State Employees Association (MSEA) on a tentative contract that is in the best interests of the State.

Throughout this two-year period, Governor LePage stood firm and did not waiver when it came to removing excessive and unnecessary costs supported by the previous union contract.

If members of MSEA ratify the agreement, the new contract will be effective through June 30, 2015. 

This is the fourth union contract Governor LePage has successfully negotiated for the next two-year period, following productive negotiations with the unions that represent the troopers, other law enforcement officers and institutional workers. “At times, negotiations were contentious, but we were finally able to convince MSEA that there were parts of the expired contract that had to go or be changed,” said the Governor.

For instance, the Governor’s negotiating team was able to eliminate unnecessary phone allowances and state-paid leave for union members to attend their own annual convention; reduce by half the interest rate on reclassifications and tighten up the reclassification procedures; eliminate excessive payments for call-out; provide an option for protecting employees’ social security numbers; and establish better job security for those who are opposed to paying service fees to the union.

In addition to improving the union contract by eliminating excessive provisions that cost Maine taxpayers, the Governor also recognized the commitment and dedication of executive branch employees by providing for wage and merit increases.

“I appreciate the hard work by all state employees serving the people of Maine,” Governor LePage said. "We have been successful in making state government more transparent, more efficient and more focused on customer service for both citizens and businesses."