Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act, bipartisan legislation that will codify the U.S. Coast Guard’s icebreaking mission on the Great Lakes and increase the icebreaking capacity of the Great Lakes fleet. Icebreaking is critical for commerce in the Great Lakes, and increasing icebreaking capacity will help the many businesses and workers that rely on the maritime industry to transport their goods to market and grow our regional economy.
“Inadequate icebreaking capacity in the Great Lakes is costing us thousands of American jobs and millions in business revenue. We must boost our icebreaking capacity in the Great Lakes to keep our maritime commerce moving,”
Membership in labor unions appears to be on the upswing in Maine and outpaced a national trend during 2020, a new federal report shows.
The number of union members in the state grew from 69,000 to 82,000 last year, representing an increase from 11.8% of Maine’s workforce to 14.7%, according to data released last week by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Nationwide, 10.8% of workers held union memberships during 2020, up only slightly from 10.3% in 2019.
The Maine AFL-CIO, a federation of 160 local unions representing over 40,000 Maine workers, attributed the growth to a combination of factors, including organizing of new unions and greater organizing within existing ones.
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Ken Lahmers, Correspondent
NORTHFIELD – Temporary appropriations for the first quarter of 2021 are in place after Village Council approved them Dec. 9. The figures are $1.64 million in the general fund and $2.58 million in all funds.
The appropriations cover anticipated expenditures through March 31, 2021, and Council must adopt permanent appropriations for the remainder of the year by that date.
Major expenditures in the general fund are anticipated to be as follows: police department, $415,000; service department, $300,000;contributions, $250,000; general government, $125,000; law department, $38,000; finance department, $31,000; mayor’s court, $21,000; mayor’s office, $11,000; and Council, $10,000.
Figures for other funds are set as follows: street construction and maintenance, $350,000; fire levy, $325,000; sewer, $130,000; police pension, $55,000; Northfield Park TIF, $50,000; and earned benefit