MAINE PUBLIC • July 27, 2022
The Maine AFL-CIO is opposing the consumer-owned utility referendum, saying a publicly-owned utility would threaten the rights of workers and create uncertainty for consumers. Union President Cynthia Phinney said the majority of workers at CMP and Versant do not support the proposal, which could prompt a buyout of the two investor-owned utilities and reclassify union workers as public employees. "If they're public employees they could lose their right to withhold their labor which is a fundamental right that we think all employees should have," Phinney said. Phinney says legal battles could follow if the referendum passes. Our Power, the coalition behind the referendum, said its proposal protects all of the rights union workers enjoy.