minimum wage

Maine workers celebrate first minimum wage increase this Saturday









103,000 Mainers will see a little more in their paychecks starting next week, as the first increase in the minimum wage goes into effect following the passage of Question 4 in November’s election. Maine’s minimum wage will increase from $7.50 to $9 an hour and the subminimum wage for workers who receive tips will increase from $3.75 to $5 an hour.

Minimum wage increase celebrated at the State House





With Maine’s minimum wage increasing on January 7th, workers and business owners who are affected by the increase are visiting the State House this week to warn legislators not to defy the clear will of Maine voters.

Referendum to raise minimum wage qualifies for November ballot







The office of Maine’s Secretary of State today announced that Mainers for Fair Wages has succeeded in gathering the signatures necessary to place a referendum to raise the minimum wage before voters for the November, 2016 General Election.

Minimum Wage Ballot Campaign Submits Signatures





Today, Mainers for Fair Wages submitted 75,000 verified signatures to the Maine Secretary of State to place an increase in the minimum wage on the November ballot, far more than the 61,123 required. Supporters marked the event with a rally in the State House Hall of Flags and remarks from more than a dozen Mainers from across the state, many of them making low wages themselves, who helped to collect the signatures.

Report Shows Maine Falling Behind in Providing Living Wage Jobs







Members of the Maine People's Alliance hosted a press conference today in Bangor to release the latest figures on the "job gap" - the divide between what Maine workers need to earn to afford basic necessities and what available jobs in Maine actually pay. They were joined by City Councilor Sarah Nichols who advocated for Maine to follow the lead of Bangor and pass a minimum wage increase statewide in 2016 in order to begin to address the gap.

Minimum Wage Ballot Campaign Hits 90,000 Signatures






On Wednesday, the campaign to place a minimum wage increase on the ballot in 2016 announced that it had collected more than 30,000 signatures from voters at polls across the state on Election Day. The campaign has now collected more than 90,000 signatures since beginning in June – well over the 61,123 needed to qualify and all but guaranteeing placement on the 2016 ballot.

Minimum Wage Signature Collection Kicks Off in Lewiston







Volunteers with Mainers for Fair Wages kicked off Lewiston-area signature collection to place a minimum wage increase on the ballot in 2016. Twenty volunteers gathered at Kimball Street Studios on Lisbon Street to learn about the signature-collection process and receive petitions in order to begin collecting signatures during the Lewiston-Auburn Art Walk and the minimum wage forum and spaghetti supper at the Lewiston Elks Lodge later in the day.

Minimum Wage Referendum Signature Collection Kicks Off on Midcoast









On Tuesday, Midcoast volunteers from Mainers for Fair Wages kicked off a regional signature collection drive to place a minimum wage increase on the 2016 ballot. Volunteers gathered in Damariscotta to celebrate the opening of their new office, learn about the referendum process, and receive petitions.

Minimum Wage Referendum Signature Collection Kicks Off in Portland










Volunteers from Mainers for Fair Wages on Thursday kicked off Portland-area signature collection to place a minimum wage increase on the 2016 ballot.

Minimum Wage Signature Training Draws Huge Crowd




More than 150 Mainers from every corner of the state convened in Augusta to learn about the citizens' initiative to incrementally increase Maine's minimum wage to $12 by 2020. Members of the Maine People's Alliance and Maine AFL-CIO spent the day learning about the details of the policy as well as strategizing on how to collect the thousands of signatures necessary to place an increase on the 2016 ballot.

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