Bangor City Council Candidates Address Labor Issues at Forum

Four of the six candidates running for Bangor City Council expressed strong support for workers' rights at an informal question-and-answer session with representatives of the Eastern Maine Labor Council on October 24. The other two candidates declined invitations to participate.

The four who attended-Jim Davitt, Susan Hawes, Aaron Sterling and Hal Wheeler-all agreed workers should have the right to choose their own representatives and bargain for better wages and benefits; denounced the doctrine of "at will" employment, under which employees can be fired for no reason and with no recourse; and urged earlier starts to negotiations with the city's public safety officers to ensure fairer outcomes.

While generally as supportive as the others of labor rights-having been an official of the American Federation of Musicians-Wheeler was the most cautious of the four in his backing. For instance, he pleaded insufficient knowledge to offer an opinion on the issue of requiring city contractors to pay prevailing wages to construction workers, whereas the other three pledged to support the plan.

Also, when faced with a hypothetical strike by motel housekeepers in the city, Davitt, Hawes and Sterling said they would walk the picket line with the striking hospitality workers, while Wheeler said he didn't see it as a government issue.

Members of the nine-member, nonpartisan council serve three year terms; three seats are up for election this year. Of the four attendees at the EMLC's event, only Hawes is an incumbent, as is one of the no-shows, Richard I. Stone. Aaron C. Prill is the other candidate who turned down an opportunity to address labor issues.