A story in the March 5th Mainebiz Daily Report regarding workers’ compensation legislation, “Maine AFL-CIO backs bills that would revise workers’ compensation law,” tells just one side of the story — the perspective of organized labor. Here’s our view as an insurance company covering 18,000 Maine employers. Remarkably, there are more than 25 workers’ compensation […]
A story in the March 5th Mainebiz Daily Report regarding workers' compensation legislation, "Maine AFL-CIO backs bills that would revise workers' compensation law," tells just one side of the story — the perspective of organized labor. Here's our view as an insurance company covering 18,000 Maine employers.
Remarkably, there are more than 25 workers' compensation bills that have been submitted for consideration. The most costly, LD 601, would restore cost-of-living increases for open claims retroactive to 1987. As written, it would immediately cost Maine employers an estimated $100 million in the form of higher insurance rates.
Another bill, LD 600, would lower the standard for stress-related claims. The result will be additional millions added to the cost of insurance and increased conflicts over hard-to-define claims of mental injury.
Once the worst state in the entire nation, the Maine workers' compensation system was completely reformed in 1992 and has treated everyone fairly for more than 25 years.
Organized labor, however, assumes that with the governorship and legislature in Democratic control, their agenda to increase both costs and lawyer-driven conflicts may have an easy path forward.
Gratefully, we don't believe that the Legislature or governor will upend all that has been accomplished. It wouldn't serve the interests of Maine.
Why? The goal always has been to be in the middle of the pack. To improve our current ranking from the 19th most expensive to only average, employers and labor still have a lot of work to do.
If you agree, please write your legislators to tell them to keep the balance in our workers' comp system.