Jay Bickford is one of the many employees working for the support services at SMCC. He likes his job there, especially as an SMCC alumni. He’s been employed with SMCC’s facility departments for over 5 years now, though the lack of adequate pay hinders his enthusiasm to work, especially considering his financial struggles. “One of the good things about working here are the benefits,” says Jay. “There’s paid time off, good health insurance, and that kind of stuff. But unfortunately, none of those things will pay your mortgage, or your car payments, or your student loan bills.” 

MSEA is hoping to restore longevity income. Longevity income ensures that an employee’s wage increases the longer they work. This means that an employee who’s worked longer will be paid more than a new hire. According to a field representative of the union named Katrina Saulis, MSEA has won the restoration of longevity income for only one of the unions’ branches, the adjuncts branch. The support and supervisory branches however have yet to receive a wage increase. Unfortunately, this includes Jay, who remains hopeful: “I’m hoping that by going to the media and marching on the central office and protesting in front of the board of directors meeting that they’ll realize we’re serious about what we’re asking for and give us a decent response. My hope is that these actions we’ve taken will help.” 

Katrina, a union field representative, is involved with all of the efforts and events that union workers arrange in order to establish change. Working with the union since 2019, Katrina has attended every meeting and event regarding the wage increase. She strongly supports the union and believes that Maine’s Community Colleges are life-changing. She hopes that MCCS will begin to recognize the labor of its workers and pay them adequately for their work. “The Maine Community College system changed my life,” says Katrina. “I was earning a minimum wage living in retail jobs when I applied to become a student at CMCC. The education I received there changed my life and is largely why I fight as hard as I do for these workers today. You can’t have a school without workers, and to me the MCCS is incredibly important to the future of our entire state and the future of Maine’s students. If the MCCS doesn’t start properly compensating workers and remain competitive in the job market the system won’t survive.”

Union workers could seek alternative employment and make upwards to $8 more an hour. Community colleges need its service workers in order to function; they manage everything such as janitorial work, admissions, and financial aid. Without them, SMCC could not function as a school. “The pay is affecting the college’s ability to hire…College is succeeding off the backs of its underpaid workers” says Jay. Despite this, many workers hold their current positions as they continue to fight for a change. Jay in particular is hopeful, explaining that there is incentive to stay, but change is dire. “What’s preventing me from leaving is hoping the college will do the right thing, and come back and negotiate fairly, giving us a decent counter offer from what we’re asking them.” 

Many of the union workers are not meeting the standard cost of living. This is gravely detrimental to our service workers’ work environment. Considering that workers of the union have been working under an expired contract since July of last year, it is MCCS’s duty to enact a rightfully deserved wage increase for the workers of MSEA.