Machias forum highlights Maine job losses

MACHIAS – Four labor-minded speakers, including Maine’s commissioner of labor, spoke to an election-anxious audience of 20 Tuesday evening at the University of Maine at Machias.

The town hall-style presentation – how global outsourcing has affected Maine’s and Washington County’s economies – was the work of a new coalition that has formed in advance of the state and national elections, “Don’t Outsource Maine.”

Hosted by AFGE Local 2635 (American Federation of Government Employees), which represents more than 80 workers at the former Navy base in Cutler, the forum drew a handful of those workers who wondered what may come of their high-tech jobs in the next year or two.

Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman highlighted the panel of speakers, which included Ed Gorham, president of the Maine State AFL-CIO.

“We came here tonight to listen to you,” she said.

A year ago in November, the country’s largest labor union, the AFL-CIO, released a report that noted only 13 other states had working families struggling harder than those in Maine to make ends meet during the first three years of the Bush administration.

One of the handouts detailed how there have been trade-caused layoffs at 178 locations throughout Maine since 2000, affecting more than 12,500 workers.

All of those trade-related layoffs were certified by the Department of Labor through its Trade Adjustment Assistance program as being caused by imports.

Three others in the audience, all state representatives from Washington County, were contributors to the dialogue. They were Ed Pellon, D-Machias; Albion Goodwin, D-Pembroke; and Anne Perry, D-Calais.

Fortman noted that last week in Augusta the new Citizen Trade Policy Commission, formed out of the Maine Jobs, Trade and Democracy Act signed in May by Gov. John Baldacci, had met for the first time.

The 22-member commission, which will study the direct economic impacts of trade pacts on jobs and business in Maine, will meet again Nov. 9.

The commission comprises three Senate members, three House members, six representing state agencies and 10 citizens.

The citizens include Cynthia Phinney of Winthrop, Bjorn Claeson of Bangor, Mark Haggerty of Orono, Jim Wilfong of Fryeburg, Paul Volckhausen of Orland, Matt Schlobohm of Greene and Paul Chartrand of Rockland.

Additionally, Robert Weiss, a doctor, represents health care professionals, and Carla Dickstein of Coastal Enterprises Inc. represents economic development organizations. A representative of manufacturing businesses still has to be named.

The meeting in Machias was the sixth of seven such meetings statewide. One more will be scheduled by month’s end in the Fort Kent area.

The forum had already gained audiences in Brewer, Millinocket, Lewiston, Skowhegan and Dover-Foxcroft last month.