Latest news with #Roeder
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawmakers reject proposals that would roll back new paid family and medical leave program
Jun. 2—AUGUSTA — Lawmakers on Monday rejected proposals that would roll back protections in Maine's new paid family and medical leave program, including bills that would repeal the program, make it voluntary and that would exclude certain workers from coverage. The House of Representatives voted 75-65 to reject a bill repealing the program and 74-65 to reject a bill that would make it voluntary for employers and employees to participate. The Senate voted 20-14 against a bill to exempt agricultural employers and employees from the program. The bills face further votes in both chambers, but the action Monday indicates the program approved in 2023 likely won't be significantly changed by lawmakers despite Republican-led efforts to either repeal the program entirely or change aspects of it. Democrats in the House defended the fledgling program Monday, saying that while the state has only just begun collecting the new payroll tax to fund the program and benefits won't be available until next year, it promises to improve the lives of families. "It's a popular program, even before it was in law or before it pays out a single benefit," said Rep. Amy Roeder, D-Bangor. Roeder said there has been speculation that the costs of the program will "spiral out of control," but said experiences in other states have shown otherwise. "Paid family programs across the country have remained stable over time, with most states avoiding major rate increases and no premium over 1.2%," Roeder said. As of August 2024, Maine and 12 other states had adopted mandatory paid family and medical leave programs, while eight states have voluntary paid leave options that employers can purchase through private insurers, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The Maine program is funded with a 1% payroll tax split evenly between employers and employees. When benefits become available on May 1, 2026, the program will pay up to 90% of regular wages for up to 12 weeks for workers who are ill or need to take care of newborns or other family members, among other reasons. Employers with fewer than 15 workers are exempt from paying into the program, but workers at small businesses still pay a 0.5% payroll tax and will be eligible for benefits. Republicans in the House pushed for repeal of the program, saying it's been difficult for businesses to implement and a burden for taxpayers, particularly those who pay into the program but may never use it. "Maine citizens currently shoulder one of the highest tax burdens in the nation," said Rep. Joshua Morris, R-Turner, the sponsor of LD 406, which would repeal laws related to the paid family and medical leave program. "As of Jan. 1, with the implementation of this new payroll tax, that burden has only gotten higher." LD 406 was rejected 75-65 along party lines in an initial House vote Monday and now heads to the Senate. Other changes to the program were also rejected in initial votes Monday. LD 1333, sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Poirier, R-Skowhegan, would require employees to be employed with their employer for 120 days before they're eligible for leave and would prohibit employees from taking paid leave unless they have simultaneously taken any available unpaid leave, among other changes. Poirier said the bill would add fairness and sustainability to the program. "This bill will help ensure there are proper guardrails on the program," she said. The bill was defeated 75-63 and heads to the Senate. In a House debate, Roeder addressed the requirement for an employee to be with their employer for 120 days, saying that an employee's payment into the program should follow them from job to job. "If I worked at a company for 20 years and I quit and go to another company, I should be able to use the paid leave I earned over that 20 years," she said. The House on Monday also rejected a bipartisan proposal, LD 1712, from Rep. Tiffany Roberts, D-South Berwick, for changes to the program. In the Senate, lawmakers rejected bills Monday that would exempt agricultural employees and employers from the program and that would allow for reimbursements of payroll taxes collected from businesses who offer equivalent or superior private plans. Both bills were rejected 20-14. The Senate also approved LD 894, a Department of Labor bill providing clarifying and technical changes to the current law. Both chambers gave initial approval Monday to LD 1221, which directs the department to study ways to protect the program's funds from being expended for any purposes other than paid family and medical leave benefits. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Massachusetts GC taps former Suffolk exec as CFO
This story was originally published on Construction Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Construction Dive newsletter. A Medford, Massachusetts-based general contractor tapped a former Suffolk executive as its new chief financial officer to help steer its next phase of growth, according to a May 20 news release sent to Construction Dive. Bond Brothers recently appointed Suzanne Roeder to the role as the firm expands its presence in healthcare, infrastructure, life sciences and power construction along the East Coast. The construction firm reported more than $800 million in revenue in 2024, according to the release. Roeder most recently served as chief growth officer at Boston-based Suffolk Construction. Prior to that, she served as chief business operations officer at ecommerce startup Perch, where she helped grow revenue from $30 million to nearly $500 million. While there, she managed over 35 acquisitions and led the development of Perch's international expansion strategy. Earlier in her career, Roeder also served as the chief operating officer at Bain & Company, a Boston-based consulting firm, before rising to executive vice president of global strategic initiatives. During her tenure at the firm, she achieved the highest profit-per-partner and employee engagement scores of any Bain location, according to the release. 'Suzanne's appointment reflects our commitment to modernizing the way we think about growth and financial leadership,' said Tony Bond, CEO and president of Bond Brothers, in the release. 'Her strategic vision, combined with her proven ability to drive organizational performance across multiple functions, strongly supports our efforts toward continued geographic and service expansion, optimized customer service and experiences, and overall profitability.' Roeder succeeds Richard Small, who is retiring after leading the company through several years of record-setting performance. Roeder holds a Master of Business Administration from the MIT Sloan School of Management and a Bachelor of Science in systems engineering from the University of Virginia. Recommended Reading Suffolk appoints new chief growth officer Sign in to access your portfolio
The Guardian
10-03-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
West Ham v Newcastle: Premier League
Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature West Ham: Areola, Todibo, Kilman, Cresswell, Wan-Bissaka, Ward-Prowse, Alvarez, Scarles, Kudus, Soucek, Bowen. Subs: Fabianski, Soler, Lucas Paqueta, Mavropanos, Luis Guilherme, Ings, Rodriguez, Emerson Palmieri, Ferguson. Newcastle: Pope, Trippier, Schar, Burn, Livramento, Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton, Murphy, Isak, Barnes. Subs: Dubravka, Wilson, Targett, Krafth, Osula, Willock, Longstaff, Miley, Neave. Referee: Michael Salisbury (Lancashire) Share Hello world, and welcome to the game that absolutely nobody knows as The Glenn Roeder Derby. The late West Ham and Newcastle manager, who also featured nearly 200 times for the Magpies as a player in the 1980s, became the first person to win anything with the north-east side in 37 years when Newcastle won the Intertoto Cup (well, they were handed it by default as the last surviving Intertoto entrants in the Uefa Cup) in 2006 – following a seventh-placed finish the season previous – under Roeder's stewardship. While the Intertoto is not recognised as a major trophy, meaning Newcastle's drought continues to stretch back to 1969. The Roeder years are not looked on particularly fondly by either West Ham (despite finishing seventh in 2001-02) or Newcastle fans, but how both teams would take a seventh-placed finish and a bit of silverware this year. West Ham's season, however, is pretty much done. Out of all cups and in the league, they are too good to go down and too inconsistent to qualify for anything else. There have been signs of life under Graham Potter, who will surely be using the rest of the campaign to figure out a gameplan for next season. For Newcastle trip to east London tonight is a little more pertinent. Not only are they just about in the hunt for Champions League/Europa League/Europa Conference League qualification in the league, but this is the final game before the Carabao Cup final on Sunday against Liverpool. Will Eddie Howe look to rest a few key players? Or could that be detrimental to the league season, and the sharpness, form and fitness for the players on Sunday? We will find out very shortly. Kick-off: 8pm GMT. Share
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The labor issues likely to dominate discussion in Maine Legislature this year
State employee Justin Norris chants outside the governor's mansion, "Hey Janet Mills, we can't pay our bills" alongside his fellow union members on Sept. 26, 2023. (Emma Davis/ Maine Morning Star) With a new federal administration looking to shake up the labor and hiring status quo, some Maine unions and lawmakers are hoping to double down on state protections for workers. The Legislature's Labor Committee has already kicked off its work with a handful of public hearings. Both Democratic committee chairs said the federal climate could create a renewed sense of urgency to safeguard workers' rights at the state level. 'We just want to hold the line, at least in the state of Maine for Maine workers, to make sure that they are taken care of,' said House co-chair Amy Roeder (D-Bangor). Roeder expressed concern that President Donald Trump would roll back protections for workers passed under former President Joe Biden. With that in mind, there are several local labor issues that advocates and lawmakers hope to advance this session. Some of the state's biggest unions are zeroing in on the need to increase wages amid what Maine AFL-CIO Communications Director Andy O'Brien described as the 'affordability crisis.' Among the other priorities that the state federation representing more than 40,000 workers is backing this session is the re-introduction of legislation that would provide no interest loans for state and federal employees in the event of a government shutdown — something that's become increasingly possible as Congress is just weeks away from another budget deadline. Meanwhile, state employees have plans to continue their fight to close the persistent pay gap between them and their counterparts in the private sector. And while they push for increased rights and protections, unions are also opposing legislation that they say is an effort to dilute their organizing power. Workers showed up en masse at the State House last week to testify against a so-called 'right-to-work' bill. The proposal seeks to allow employees at unionized workplaces who are not union members to opt out of paying union dues. However, unions like Maine AFL-CIO are against the measure because those employees would still receive the benefits of representation without paying for them. Though bills in the Labor Committee tends to be 'cut-and-dry along party lines,' Roeder said there is often agreement among committee members around issues related to retirement and state pensions. One such issue stems from a 2011 change under then-Gov. Paul LePage that capped cost of living adjustments in state employee pensions. Roeder said that lawmakers have heard testimony from retired state employees who are having to choose between paying for medicine, heat or their mortgage because their pensions aren't keeping up with costs. But even if both political parties recognize flaws in the state pension system, Roeder said the solutions come with such high price tags that there's little chance of passing a complete fix. This issue came to light again last week during a hearing with the budget committee during which multiple retirees spoke of the challenges they have because their state pensions haven't kept up with the cost of living. Beth White, director of politics and legislation for the Maine Service Employees Association, SEIU Local 1989, told Maine Morning Star this has been 'extremely difficult' for the union's retired members. Additionally, there are multiple proposals this session to expand access to a special retirement plan for certain professions due to the strenuous nature of their work. Especially taxing careers such as firefighters, emergency medical services personnel and correctional officers can currently partake in a retirement plan that allows them to retire at the age of 55 with 10 years of service or before that with 25 years of service. Two bills, including one sponsored by Labor Committee Senate chair Mike Tipping (D-Penobscot), seek to expand eligibility to psychiatric hospital employees and workers from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. A myriad of workers' rights and benefits are on the table this session including legislation to raise the minimum wage for farm workers and increase staffing levels for nurses that are reminiscent of the committee's work in recent years. Gov. Janet Mills vetoed her own bill last session to guarantee that agricultural workers would be paid at least the state minimum wage because lawmakers amended it to maintain their right to take private action against employers. This year, a similar proposal is back. However, this time it has been introduced by a Republican senator. Even though the legislation maintains the right to private action that Mills opposed, Roeder hopes this bill will garner more bipartisan support to sway the governor who has vetoed multiple other attempts to bolster agricultural workers' rights. Maine's new paid family medical leave program is also making a return as it is already facing repeal efforts. Workers haven't yet been able to access the benefit, which isn't scheduled to be available until 2026, but Maine employers had to start withholding a portion of wages to pay into the program's fund in January. Additionally, Roeder has multiple bills aimed at strengthening protections and rights for workers, including one that would allow employees to ask for remote work without fear of being penalized. Closing the pay gap for state employees has been and will remain a key issue for the Maine Service Employees Association, which represents state workers. Studies in recent years have shown that state employees earn less than their private and public sector counterparts throughout New England, though the Mills administration has disputed some of those findings. On average, that gap is about 14%, according to the most recent state employee compensation study released last fall. While that shows slight improvement from the 2020 study, White said there's still work to be done. Based on conversations she's had with legislators, White is optimistic about the potential to work on closing the pay gap. She said it's taken a few years for lawmakers to understand the scope of the issue, but now she's seen a shift from educating legislators to finding solutions for a problem they are now aware of. Not all of the bills have had their text released in full yet but White said the union is backing multiple measures that would help increase state worker pay. The union is also supporting proposals to update the recruitment and retention stipend process, which would help with staff vacancies, and have future pay studies contracted out to organizations that specialize in that sort of data, rather than have them done by the state Department of Administrative and Financial Services. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
