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Mark Brunton of Lewiston is president of the Maine Service Employees Association, Local 1989 of the Service Employees International Union (MSEA-SEIU Local 1989).
I’ve spent most of my life around working people, whether stocking shelves, peddling truck parts or assisting individuals with disabilities. As president of MSEA-SEIU 1989, I am entrusted with supporting thousands of union members across Maine.
What I hear from our members might surprise you.
No one is looking to become a millionaire, though that’d be nice. They want to cover their bills, save for their future and live with dignity. They want leaders who understand what it’s like to worry about the cost of college, feel the pain at the gas pump or budget to fill their grocery cart. Quite simply: They say Mainers want a fair deal and a leader who understands what keeps them up at night.
For too long, our politicians have been too removed from the experiences of working Mainers. Instead, they often serve the interests of the powerful who keep their campaign coffers full. When a politician isn’t living our day to day, how can they possibly fight for us in the halls of power?
That’s why MSEA-SEIU 1989 endorsed Troy Jackson as our first choice for Maine’s next governor. Troy’s campaign is centered around working Mainers — not because it’s what is politically popular, but because that’s just him.
Troy is a fifth-generation logger from Allagash. Before he ever set foot in the State House, he worked 80 hours a week doing one of the most dangerous jobs in the country without health insurance. When corporations began replacing Maine loggers with cheaper Canadian labor, Troy organized a blockade at the Canadian border to fight back. When Troy didn’t see politicians who looked or sounded like him, he ran — and won — a seat in the Maine Legislature to represent Mainers whose voices were too often silenced in our politics.
As a state senator, Troy championed good union jobs and a more affordable Maine. He took on corporations and employers who profit off the backs of working people. Troy pushed Big Pharma to lower drug costs, helped pass universal school meals so no kid would go hungry and worked to deliver property tax relief. He’s committed to strengthening union organizing and increasing state worker pay.
As governor, Troy has a clear vision to deliver. He’s got a plan for free or reduced childcare costs, stopping electricity tax hikes and cutting taxes for working families. He is committed to expanding access to healthcare through better reimbursement rates and taking on private equity companies that buy up our care system. He’s focused on housing affordability through down payment assistance and tax incentives for people who live in Maine full-time. He’ll ensure good-faith negotiations in public sector contracts.
Most importantly: Troy has a plan to pay for his policies. He’ll hold accountable millionaires and corporations who profit off our state. If you have assets over a billion, you’ll see a 5% tax. If you’re a corporation, your corporate tax rate on profits of $3.5 million will go up 1%. In Maine, we believe everyone should pay their fair share.
Bottom line: SEIU members need to see real leadership from the governor’s office. Despite being the workers who keep Maine running, our members have been working more than ten 10 months without a contract because Gov. Janet Mills has turned down what we consider good faith negotiations with our union. Meanwhile, we’re living in a world growing more expensive by the day.
Our members deserve a Maine where they are not asked to wait for better compensation they were promised. They deserve a Maine that delivers on what matters most to their families.
Workers have had enough of the status quo. They know that as governor Troy Jackson can’t solve everything. No governor possibly can. But for the first time in a long time, Maine can elect a governor who has our best interests in mind, not the interests of themselves, corporations or powerful donors.
Working people built this state. We can rebuild it. And it starts in June. Vote for Troy Jackson for governor.
