Labor

Providing stability and security for Maine's working men and women

  • Passed More Pro-Worker Legislation Than Any Recent Administration: As the Maine AFL-CIO once said, Governor Mills has passed more pro-worker legislation in Augusta than any time in the previous forty years.
  • Signed Earned Paid Leave: In 2019, Governor Mills signed a landmark law guaranteeing up to 40 hours of paid time off each year for workers at businesses with more than ten employees. With this single act, Maine became the first state in the nation to ensure workers could earn paid time off that could be used for any reason.
  • Established Maine's Paid Family and Medical Leave Program: In 2023, Governor Mills signed legislation that gives Maine workers crucial support during life's most important moments, guaranteeing up to 12 weeks of leave for personal medical needs, caring for a family member's medical needs, or preparing for a loved one's military deployment. Benefits are set to begin May 2026.
  • Eliminated Sub-Minimum Wage for Workers with Disabilities: Governor Mills signed legislation in 2020 that eliminated the sub-minimum wage for people with disabilities.
  • Established Minimum Wage for Farmworkers: In 2025, Governor Mills signed legislation guaranteeing Maine farmworkers the state minimum wage, currently $14.65 per hour. Prior to signing the law, Maine farm workers could earn less than half that amount.
  • Ensured Fair Pay for Construction Workers: In 2019, Governor Mills signed legislation expanding the definition of public works projects and ensuring workers are paid the prevailing wage rate on school and municipal projects with public funding of $50,000 or more.
  • Strengthened the Equal Pay Act: Governor Mills signed legislation to discourage employers from basing wages on an employee's salary history and legislation to prohibit wage discrimination based on race.
  • Raised State Employee Salaries: Through collective bargaining, Governor Mills has provided a total of more than $1.15 billion in salary increases to state employees -- more than in the previous 16 years combined.
  • Recovered Wages Owed to Maine Workers: Under Governor Mills' leadership, the Maine Department of Labor has taken aggressive action, including issuing heavier fines, against employers who have withheld wages from their employees. It has added three new inspectors to the Bureau of Labor Standards Wage and Hour Division, as well as an additional Assistant Attorney General to enforce employment laws.
  • Expanded Severance Pay: Governor Mills' 2023 expansion of severance pay in Maine represents a major step forward for worker protection*. *For the first time since 1979, more employees are now entitled to severance when they are laid off, providing a critical financial cushion during a period of job loss.
  • Protected Workers from Retaliation: In 2023, Governor Mills signed legislation to increase the penalties for any employer who tries to prevent or penalize an employee for exercising their rights in the workplace.
  • Protected State Workers Jobs: In 2021, Governor Mills signed legislation to protect state workers from threats to privatize their jobs by establishing a rigorous process for outsourcing any services provided by the state.
  • Gave Workers a Clean Slate: In 2021, Governor Mills signed legislation to prohibit employers from inquiring about an individual's criminal history on an initial employment application and from stating in employment advertisements that an individual with a criminal history may not apply, ensuring that people who have been incarcerated are able to work and to contribute to our state after their release.
  • Established Collective Bargaining Rights in Maine's Forest Products Sector: In 2019, Governor Mills signed legislation to establish collective bargaining rights for loggers and forest product haulers.
  • Supported Project Labor Agreements for Public Works Projects: In 2019, Governor Mills signed legislation to permit state and local governments to use project labor agreements, or PLAs, on publicly funded projects.
  • Made Historic Investments in Workers: Using federal funding from the American Rescue Plan, Governor Mills has invested more than $200 million in what workers need, including education and training, housing and health care, child care and broadband. Through the Jobs Plan to date, Maine has offered apprenticeship, career and education advancement, and job training opportunities to 26,000 Maine people. In 2024, there were nearly 1,500 registered apprentices and 800 people participating in pre-apprenticeship programs in Maine.
  • Encouraged Women to Work in Construction: In 2024, Governor Mills signed an Executive Order encouraging employers to recruit and retain women in the trades. Thanks to her efforts, more than 400 Maine women have enrolled in pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship, and trades training programs, and more than 300 are now working in the trades as electricians, welders, carpenters, mechanics, and in other skilled professions.
  • Connected Veterans to Employers: Through Maine's annual Hire-A-Vet campaign, the Mills Administration has connected hundreds of veterans to meaningful employment opportunities with employers who need their unique experience and expertise. In 2024, the Hire-A-Vet Campaign resulted in the hiring of 191 veterans and military family members by Maine employers, nearly doubling the campaign's goal of 100 hires in 100 days.