In a radical change to the public sector bargaining law, L.D. 677 would shift ultimate responsibility over employee salaries and benefits from Maine school boards, towns, state university boards, and state government to outside arbitrators who have no accountability to the people or the taxpayers.
It affects what is known as “interest arbitration” which under law is currently not binding on financial matters because the drafters of the bargaining law determined the representatives of the voters and the taxpayers should have the final say on how much public money should be spent on employee compensation.
Since employee compensation represents the largest share of municipal budgets, school budgets and university budgets, the boards and their constituencies will lose control over a significant share of their spending. Town meetings, town and city councils, school boards and university boards will be left out.
The bill is on the legislative calendar for final enactment and will be voted on June 30.
Please contact your legislators in the House and Senate now and ask them to vote against L.D. 677 because it takes control over local budgets away from citizens and taxpayers and puts it in the hands of outsiders.
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