AUGUSTA - On Wednesday, Speaker Ryan Fecteau of Biddeford introduced legislation for Maine to establish a labor and community education center. " An Act To Promote Labor Education through the University of Maine System" was presented before the Legislature's Education and Cultural Affairs Committee.
From the Great Resignation and ' Striketober,' 2021 has been called the year of the worker. The year was marked by public demands for safe working conditions and fair pay, unionization efforts, and worker mobilization.
Through Fecteau's bill, the University of Maine System would establish the Dr. Charles A. Scontras Labor Center at the University of Southern Maine to provide lifelong community-based labor education, research opportunities and outreach. The late labor historian Charlie Scontras was known for documenting the rich history of Maines workers, much of his work was done in his role as a professor and researcher at the University of Maine's Bureau of Labor Education in Orono. From the first strike of Maine fishermen in 1636 to the impact of deindustrialization on Maines economy, Scontras studied centuries of Maine labor history. The new center named for him would host workshops, symposia, trainings and opportunities for scholars and the public to conduct applied research on Maines labor history.
"The positive impact of organized labor within Maine cannot be understated; however, the deep labor history here in Maine is often overlooked. From pushing for workplace safety to fighting for fair wages for Mainers, organized labor has helped to make Maine a safer and more equitable state," said Speaker Ryan Fecteau. "Much of this work benefited Franco-American Mainers, like my family, who emigrated from Quebec to work in the textile mills in my hometown of Biddeford. When Francos arrived in Maine, many of them faced treacherous and sometimes deadly working conditions, low wages, long hours and child labor. Labor unions gave these new Mainers a unified voice and allowed them to advocate for workplace regulations that continue to benefit our states workers. Today, unions are providing protections that Maine's workforce demands. By creating new opportunities to learn from our heritage, well continue the legacy of Dr. Charlie Scontras into this era where the role of workers and worker protections is as meaningful as ever."
"My entire life, my father was researching and writing about the history of Maine labor. He was a living library of knowledge. He once said,' As long as individuals see themselves as autonomous creatures, self-contained and totally disconnected from the larger social and historical context, they'll never understand who they are. If they look over their shoulder, they'll see the shadows of people who preceded them and help explain who they are.' This center will ensure that my fathers great body of knowledge is expanded upon and passed on to future generations of Maine workers so that they have a deeper understanding of who they are and the collective power they have within themselves to make the world a better place for all working people," said Dianna Scontras, daughter of the late Charlie Scontras.
"When Charlie found out that I was a card-carrying member of the Portland Longshoremen's Benevolent Association, chartered by the state of Maine in 1880, he urged me to document and preserve the history of my local union. Some of us did do that, and most of our union's early history from 1880 to 1923 is now preserved," said Vinny O'Malley, who published an opinion piece in support of the bill in todays Portland Press Herald. "If the bill is passed, the center will offer labor education for students, unions and, most importantly, the community at large. It will host regular trainings and workshops, policy seminars, working-class oral history projects, conferences, symposia and speakers. It will also offer films that address issues of concern to Maine's working people, such as labor law and workers' rights, discrimination, labor history, quality of work life and lots more. I, for one, cannot think of a more fitting honor for my friend Charlie and his life's work."
"At American Roots, I worked stitching for the first two years, then as a floor lead and now I help interview and train immigrant workers who work there. We are a family and it has been very helpful to have a union job with decent pay, benefits and paid sick time. I work with immigrants from all over the world. I support LD 1816 because a labor center at USM would be very helpful for immigrant workers. Many immigrant workers don't know their rights in the workplace. We don't know how to get into a training or apprenticeship program. We don't know the history of workers here. This kind of worker education for immigrants would be very helpful." said Anaam Jabbir, union member of United Steelworkers Local 366.
"I graduated from the University of Maine at Orono in 1985. During that time, I knew Dr. Scontras quite well, and his deep knowledge and passion for labor issues opened my mind to many things I took for granted, including that a 40-hour work week, paid vacation and sick leave, and access to adequate healthcare only came about through organized labor actions." said Sarah Hill of Brunswick. "Labor education and training are absolutely critical during these times of rising inequality. That education must include labor history, without which we cannot possibly comprehend the current context and advocate effectively for worker rights. Expanding capacity to continue labor research and develop educational programs for Maines organized and unorganized workforce is essential to a healthy and productive Maine economy."
"I can think of no better way to honor Charlie Scontras than to create and name a Labor and Community Education Center in his honor. The many workers of this state, whatever their exact roles might be, deserve such a place to honor not just one man, but the labor of many hundreds of thousands over the years and into the future." said Michael Connolly, recently retired Saint Josephs College and USM professor.
This morning's public hearing was recorded and can be viewed on the Education and Cultural Affairs Committees YouTube Channel. All submitted testimony can be found here.
Contact:
Jenna Howard (Fecteau), 214-3185,
Andy OBrien (AFL-CIO) , 542-4728