Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening and Happy Labor Day Weekend! I hope you're enjoying a good barbecue and time with friends and family.
You know, 134 years ago, Maine became the ninth state in the country to recognize Labor Day. But as labor historian Charles Scontras wrote, our belief in the dignity and value of labor reaches far deeper into our history.
The very first labor strike in the country was led by six fishermen on Richmond Island in 1636. In 1841, the "Great Turn Out", so-called, was led by 500 factory workers in Saco. In 1937, shoe workers in Lewiston-Auburn led a strike for better pay and working conditions, one of many strikes in the textile and shoe industries in the history of our state. Throughout our history, Maine people have stood up and stood together to improve the lives of working men and women.
As we observe Labor Day 2025, it's important to celebrate the progress we've made on behalf of working people. I'm proud to say that my administration, with the support of the legislature, has done more to preserve safety and fairness in the workplace than anyone at any other time in recent history.
We required a prevailing wage be paid in public construction projects. We protected state workers from threats to privatize their jobs. We created apprenticeships for large-scale energy projects. We allowed project labor agreements on publicly funded projects. And we enacted measures to promote pay equality.
We defended the right to collective bargaining by banning mandatory attendance at anti-union meetings. We made Maine the first state in the nation to establish earned paid leave, and we're creating a self-funded Paid Family Medical Leave program so people don't have to quit their job in order to have a child or take care of a sick family member. And, after listening to farmers and workers across the state, I signed the bill establishing the minimum wage for farm workers.
My administration also created apprenticeship programs for good paying jobs for thousands of workers. And last year, I signed an Executive Order to get more women working in construction. Thanks to our efforts, an additional 240 women in Maine are working jobs in the trades. We all know we need more plumbers, electricians, welders, carpenters, and mechanics, and I want to see more women take these good-paying jobs.
We've made historic investments in child care, education, training, housing and health care – all the things that working families need – and we made community college free. In the most recent budget, we extended that program for this year's high school grads, and I'm going to continue to advocate for that as long as I'm governor.
More than 180 years ago, people who worked with their hands, who were called "mechanics," carried banners bearing symbols of their craft down the streets of Portland to show that they were more than just "units of energy" as the historian Charles Scontras wrote. As we celebrate Labor Day this year, we remember those champions and we reflect on the many contributions of working men and women in Maine, and we recommit to the soul of the labor movement by doing everything we can to make our state the best place to live, work, and raise a family.
This is Governor Janet Mills. Happy Labor Day weekend, and thank you for listening.