There are more than 30 Workers’ Compensation bills being heard by the Maine Labor Committee and will be considered by the entire Legislature that will significantly roll back the successes of the Blue Ribbon reform of 1992.

The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) has reported that “the combined impact of these proposals is an increase of at least 75 percent to Maine’s Workers’ Compensation system costs.” Current system costs are approximately $200 million a year. Therefore, the dollar impact is an increase of $150 million a year. These numbers are staggering! But what is even more staggering is the thought of who will benefit most from the passage of these bills: attorneys, not the injured workers.

The stability that was created by the 1992 reforms has made it possible for C.B. Cummings & Sons Co. to provide raises in 1995 from savings in workers’ comp. costs. Also, safety incentives have been given, work stations have been developed or redesigned from an ergonomic standpoint, and a more pro-active and safer working environment has been provided. In the last year alone, 20 new people have been hired.

C.B. Cummings & Sons Co. has seen a major reduction in Workers’ Compensation costs since 1992, while drastically increasing the effectiveness of our safety and health program. Prior to the 1992 Blue Ribbon reforms many Maine-owned businesses went out of business or moved out of state because of the outrageous costs of Workers’ Compenstaion insurance. The Blue Ribbon reform of 1992 has proven that businesses and the workers’ comp system can work together toward a common goal: providing a safer working environment, less injuries, and lowering costs. Stephen Cummings Robert Cummings C.B. Cummings & Sons Co. Norway