The Maine Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has found reasonable grounds to believe that Tamco Transportation, headquartered in Presque Isle, discriminated against Peter Freeman because of his bipolar disorder. Mr. Freeman worked for Tamco as a truck driver. When Mr. Freeman told the owner of Tamco that he had bipolar disorder,…
On April 11, 2011, the Maine Human Rights Commission (MHRC) found that the moving and storage company Parker K. Bailey & Sons, Inc. of Waterville fired Rodney Witham because he blew the whistle on the company’s illegal deductions from employees’ pay. According to Mr. Witham and another witness, he complained…
A Bangor organization called the Workers Rights Board of Eastern Maine (WRB) has reached out to both Eastern Maine Medical Center (EMMC) and its nurses in an effort to bring them together to resolve their ongoing labor dispute. Last month, WRB sent letters to EMMC and its nurses inviting them…
Rep. David Burns, R-Whiting, has reportedly sponsored a bill that would allow employers to pay teenagers $2.25 less per hour than they have to pay workers who are 20 years old and older. The bill would reduce the minimum wage for teenagers from $7.50 per hour to $5.25 per hour.…
On March 24, 2011, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) finalized new regulations for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Congress revamped the ADA in 2008. The president signed the revamped version into law in January 2009. The EEOC’s new regulations provide guidance to employers, employees, and courts on how…
Currently, it is legal for an employer to refuse to hire anyone who is unemployed. Obviously, if this practice becomes widespread, the current high unemployment rate would remain high for much longer. A Congressman from Georgia believes this is unfair and he has proposed legislation to make it illegal. Under…
Under current Maine law, with some exceptions, employers may not work minors aged 16-18 more than 20 hours per week while school is in session. The Maine legislature is considering a bill that would allow employers to work minors aged 16-18 32 hours per week while school is in session.…
The Maine Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has found reasonable grounds to believe that Hannaford Bros., a part of the multi-national corporation Delhaize Group, unlawfully discriminated against Ernesto Duran. Mr. Duran, a Latino gentleman originally from Puerto Rico, worked for Hannaford for about eight years until Hannaford fired him on May…
Restaurant Opportunities Center United, an organization dedicated to advancing the interests of restaurant workers, recently released a study of working conditions that focused on restaurants located in New York, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, Washington, DC–and Maine. Their research revealed, among other things, that minority restaurant workers disproportionately…
On February 17, 2011, Massachusetts’ governor signed an executive order which bans discrimination against state employees and employees of state contractors because of their gender identity. This new law would protect some of Massachusetts’ transgender employees from discrimination. However, it does not protect all transgender employees–it only protects those working…