Maine workers will now benefit from a law that allows the state to order businesses to pay back wages as well as damages from missed wages. The law went into effect Friday and is the latest state-level effort among Democrat-controlled states to give workers more options to seek compensation for lost wages.
PORTLAND, Maine — Maine workers will now benefit from a law that allows the state to order businesses to pay back wages as well as damages from missed wages.
The law went into effect Friday and is the latest state-level effort among Democrat-controlled states to give workers more options to seek compensation for lost wages. CaliforniaLaws to combat wage theft are common, but Maine’s new laws will give the state Department of Labor more tools to hold businesses accountable for failure to pay, lawmakers said.
Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, a Democrat, said the new law is for “holding bad actors accountable for wage theft.” He described that as a concern of “everyday, working-class people.” The proposal passed the Maine Legislature earlier this year. The law change had support from labor leaders in Maine who said it was especially important to protect low-wage workers from lost pay. The Maine Center for Economic Policy said earlier this year that minimum wage violations in Maine amounted to an estimated $30 million in 2017.
Some business interests and policy groups opposed Maine’s new wage law. The Maine Jobs Council, which advocates for job creation in the state, testified before a committee of the Maine Legislature that the proposal was “antithetical to our mission of advocating for economic prosperity by promoting the growth and maintenance of foundational jobs.”
Compensation And Benefits General News ME State Wire F N U.S. News Labor Business U.S. News
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Maine's new 72-hour waiting period to buy a gun now in effectThe new 72-hour waiting period law goes into effect in Maine on Friday.
Read more »
Manny Jacinto plays Lindsay Lohan's husband in Freaky Friday sequel Freakier Friday'The Acolyte' star Manny Jacinto is playing Lindsay Lohan's husband in the 'Freaky Friday' sequel, now titled 'Freakier Friday,' Jamie Lee Curtis tells EW. 'Manny is lovely. So funny,' Lohan says of her new onscreen love interest.
Read more »
Wildlife on a Maine Pond: Adorable Loon Chicks Face an Uncertain FutureIt's baby loon season on Maine's many lakes and ponds, which offers wonderful photo opportunities and chances to watch nature in action.
Read more »
Missing 75-year-old man found alive in Maine bog after 4 daysBreaking news reporter
Read more »
75-year-old man missing for 4 days found alive by K-9 in Maine bogMichael Altmaier was found four days after going missing by a K-9 in Weld, Maine.
Read more »
Missing 75-year-old man found in Maine bog after 4 daysA 75-year-old man from Maine, Michael Altmaier, was located after being in the wild for four days, officials announced on Facebook Saturday morning.
Read more »