Letter: Maine can’t preserve its roads and bridges with out transportation employees

Letters submitted by BDN readers are verified by BDN Opinion Web page employees. Ship your letters to [email protected]

As a upkeep and freeway employee for the Maine Division of Transportation, I do know there’s an actual drawback with recruiting and retaining MaineDOT employees, and it’s largely due to the low pay. State authorities pays us far under what different related employees all through New England are paid for a similar work. MaineDOT can’t recruit or retain employees for these jobs due to the low wages. This drawback is getting worse, not higher.

The 2020 State of Maine Market Research Report reveals that state employees on common are underpaid by 15 % and that upkeep mechanics for the State of Maine are literally underpaid by 31 %. A 2009 research reached related conclusions.

There’s been a variety of discuss within the Maine Legislature in regards to the want for extra funding for infrastructure like roads and bridges. Nevertheless, how is the state going to get all that work finished with no certified and skilled MaineDOT workforce? MaineDOT retains shedding employees to better-paying employers within the personal sector and at cities and cities statewide.