This November, working Mainers have a critical decision to make when it comes to the US Senate race. Whoever we elect will have a tremendous impact on the fate of workers’ rights and our very economic future. As members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, we know first hand the value of unions, not only in improving wages, benefits and protections, but also in giving people more power in their workplaces. Unfortunately, these rights are increasingly being eroded and we need leaders who will fight to ensure working people get a fair shake.
During this election season, we’ve seen a lot of misleading ads about who is the best candidate to serve Maine workers. Back in 2014, the Maine State Council of Machinists — which represents 5,000 people working in paper mills, public works departments, the lobstering industry, a law office, and shipyards — endorsed Senator Susan Collins because we believed that she would defend jobs and support issues that affect our members. Unfortunately, Washington seems to have changed Susan Collins and we now believe that Speaker Sara Gideon is the best choice.
Over the last six years, Senator Collins has repeatedly voted against the interests of working Mainers. In particular, we believe we have been betrayed by her votes to confirm anti-labor federal judges and union busting attorney Eugene Scalia to head the Department of Labor. Scalia actually represented Bath Iron Works against the Machinists in a lawsuit regarding pension issues. Senator Collins also voted to confirm National Labor Relations Board Chairman John Ring, who worked for one of the nation’s largest union-busting law firms. Senator Collins took these votes while serving on the Senate’s Labor Committee as her party’s most senior member. Clearly, her “seniority” has not benefited us.
Further, during the nine-week strike at BIW this year, Senator Collins was asked personally by our International President, Robert Martinez, to use her influence to assist in resolving the impasse. Senator Collins refused, and declined to get involved. However, while Local S6 was at the bargaining table, her campaign accepted $21,000 from BIW and General Dynamics executives. Is it any wonder why she didn’t lift a finger to support the shipbuilders in getting to a fair resolution? Collins works for management, not the people who build the ships.
Sara Gideon, on the other hand, as early as last fall got involved to help us with the issues that ultimately led to the strike. As Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, she did not hesitate to call out BIW’s hypocrisy as she questioned their use of out-of-state subcontractors while receiving a $45 million tax break from Mainers. Sara spoke at Local S6 rallies, walked the picket line with us, met with our negotiators, and kept an open line of communication with our leadership.
Meanwhile, where I work at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, workers rights are under attack from a series of President Trump’s executive orders that seek to severely weaken federal unions and prevent us from representing our members in grievances. We have met with Senator Collins several times, but she refuses to commit to overturning these destructive policies. Sara Gideon, on the other hand, has pledged to work to repeal them.
Speaker Gideon has earned a 95 percent lifetime score on the Maine AFL-CIO Working Families Legislative Scorecard by, among other things, defeating the “right-to-work” legislation aimed at breaking unions, and passing legislation that expanded collective bargaining rights for woods workers. With Sara Gideon in Washington we know we will have an ally who will not only ensure the future of shipbuilding in Maine, but will also stand up for us when we need her. It’s time for change.
Mark Vigliotta is the President of the Maine State Council of Machinists and a 19-year production machinery mechanic at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
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