The Legislature’s Education Committee held a public hearing March 14 on a proposal to establish a labor education center at the University of Southern Maine to provide education and policy development on workers’ issues for students and community organizations.

The proposal, submitted by Rep. John Tuttle, D-Sanford, envisions a program that would add support and enrichment to the courses already offered by USM’s Labor Studies minor program, with an eye toward eventually expanding to offer an undergraduate major and a master’s degree in Labor and Working Class Studies.

“I submitted this bill to address a significant need in our educational community: labor education,” Tuttle told the committee. “Throughout the country, there are a handful of universities and colleges that offer comprehensive labor education programs. This bill would add the University of Southern Maine to the ranks of schools that provide labor education, which would help to make it a destination for students interested in these important issues.”

In addition to the academic work envisioned, the program would be able to offer significant assistance to Southern Maine communities by providing trainings and policy workshops on issues like worker’s compensation, unemployment insurance and labor law.

“As a displaced mill worker, I know first-hand that our state’s economy is in transition,” Rep. Mark Bryant, D-Windham, told the committee. “This labor center, as proposed, would provide both qualified professionals and continuing education resources. Another benefit is a comprehensive curriculum that includes today’s workforce needs.”

The bill would appropriate money from the state’s general fund to establish and maintain the center and three staff positions: a full-time center director, a part-time faculty director, and a part-time administrative assistant.

To learn more about this bill, visit:

http://janus.state.me.us/legis/LawMakerWeb/summary.asp?ID=280022454.

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