Senate Democrats Fight for Rights for Maine Workers

Republican lawmakers call debate on workers rights at DeCoster egg farm “bizarre”

AUGUSTA – For more than an hour today, Senate Democrats fought against a Republican measure eliminating collective bargaining rights for workers at the former DeCoster egg farm. Republicans passed the measure in a partisan vote of 19 – 16 with independent Senator Richard Woodbury voting with the Democrats.

“DeCoster is the worse case in Maine’s history of violating workers’ rights. If we can’t offer protections to these workers then there’s something seriously wrong,” said Senator Troy Jackson who also serves on the Labor, Research, Commerce, and Economic Development Committee. “The Republicans say they are the party of working people yet they’re turning their back on Maine workers.”

DeCoster leased the farm to a company owned by the Land O’Lakes agriculture cooperative. The DeCoster factory has a history of workplace violations in Maine, and unsanitary conditions in its Iowa facilities were linked to salmonella outbreaks across the country in 2010.

“It is unconscionable to say we need to remove workers’ rights to improve the business climate,” said Assistant Democratic Leader Justin Alfond of Portland. “Our economy, like our Democracy needs checks and balances. It is healthy for workers to be able to negotiate. That is good for people and good for business.”

On the Senate floor, Republican Senator Garret Mason, was an outspoken opponent of workers’ rights saying collective bargaining would be “raising the bar” for workers and that was unacceptable. He went on to characterize the bill as“bizarre”.

“Since when is standing up for workers rights ‘bizarre’?” said Senator Seth Goodall of Richmond. “It is nonsensical to be taking rights away from working Mainers. The measure chooses corporate interests over people and the Maine Legislature should not be in the business of picking winners and losers.”

Jack DeCoster, owner of the egg farms in Maine and nationally, has been found guilty of violating federal and state labor, safety, immigration, animal cruelty and environmental laws for decades. In 1997, he was fined $2 million by the U.S. Department of Labor for gross workplace violations. The violations prompted the passage of the Maine law the Republicans voted to repeal.

The final measure includes an amendment directing the Maine Department of Labor to review worker conditions.