After winning their respective Democratic primaries this month, Matt Dunlap and Hannah Pingree spoke about their support of unions Friday at the Maine AFL-CIO committee on political education convention. 

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Pingree was not initially supported by Maine’s unions, although she was cross-endorsed by longtime workers’ rights champion and union pick Troy Jackson. Dunlap, meanwhile, was endorsed by the National Nurses in his primary.  

“We have to work on a better tomorrow, get people some hope so that their children and grandchildren can do better than they did and their parents did,” Dunlap said. “Right now people just don’t feel that way. They feel left behind, and I think we can all work together to bring them back alongside of us.”

In Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, Dunlap now faces off against former Gov. Paul LePage, the Republican nominee, to replace U.S. Rep. Jared Golden. And in the gubernatorial race, Pingree now enters a three-way election in November with Republican Bobby Charles and independent Rick Bennett.

“If young people cannot afford to stay in the state of Maine, if working families can’t afford to find houses near their jobs, if seniors can’t downsize, then nothing else is going to work,” Pingree said. 

Jackson highlights Pingree’ record

In the primary, the Maine AFL-CIO and many other unions endorsed Jackson, not Pingree. But Jackson, who cross-endorsed Pingree, introduced her at the convention, vouching for her record of union support despite not being a member herself.

“I know that she knows how important these issues are and that’s why as hard as it was on this campaign, I’m really proud to stand here today and have the opportunity to introduce her, because I know she’s gonna hear us,” Jackson said. 

Pingree emphasized that record in her remarks, highlighting her work with the firefighters’ union to take on chemical manufacturers and strengthen retirement benefits. 

“The strongest economies in the world are not built by cheap labor,” Pingree said. “They are built by well paid, well trained and well protected workers.”

She said if elected, she will appoint a senior adviser in the governor’s office dedicated to labor issues, and will show up to job sites and picket lines alongside the unions. 

But Pingree said she will need to work with unions to get elected, and especially because she has to defeat “not just one, but two Republicans,” referring to Republican nominee Charles and Bennett, who unenrolled from the Republican Party to run for governor as an independent. 

Maine AFL-CIO did not immediately respond to a question whether Charles and Bennett were invited to speak to union members.

She also emphasized her support for the state employees union, which has clashed with Gov. Janet Mills’ administration in contract negotiations. 

Pingree said that it was “unacceptable” that the union had been without a contract for 11 months. And she would treat state workers as true partners and work to bring state salaries in line with the private sector. 

That was meaningful for Kris Ladue, a member of the Maine Service Employees Association, SEIU Local 1989, and vice president of the union’s transportation chapter. Ladue said Pingree’s support means even more in the face of disheartening negotiations. 

“I have been extremely happy that our candidate is someone who actually values state employees, values the work that we do and wants us to have a really strong workforce that is taken care of, that has a good quality of life and that has a safe work environment,” Ladue said. 

Erin Oberson, co-president of the Maine State Nurses Association, said although the union had endorsed Jackson in the primary, she was encouraged by Pingree’s remarks at the convention.

“I think she has really evolved throughout this primary season, I think she’s taken some time to reflect,” Oberson said. 

Continued support for Dunlap

It was a friendly room for Dunlap, who was endorsed in the primary by National Nurses United, and he got several laughs and applause from delegates. 

Oberson said she was delighted to see Dunlap prevail in the primary. 

“I think his platform really recognizes our values, in terms of Medicare For All,” Oberson said. “He really understands the economic struggles that Mainers are really struggling with.”

One member of the state employees union asked Dunlap for his definition of a carpet bagger — a derogatory term for a political candidate that runs for office in an area where they’ve only lived a short time, and doesn’t have many community ties. 

The question got laughs in the room, as did Dunlap’s response: “The definition of carpet bagger is Paul LePage.”

Dunlap said his campaign has always been about representing working families. 

“Over the last few decades, the entire economy has slowly gotten tilted against us because you don’t have an army of lobbyists in Washington working for you,” Dunlap said. “That’s what Congress is supposed to do, and that’s what I intend to do.”

When asked about the state of federal unions in Washington D.C., Dunlap said they have been under siege by the Trump administration. He said the attempts to remove unions’ right to bargain are “criminal,” and he will fight to protect unions and workers. 

“When you have a unionized workforce, you have an expert workforce, people who are dedicated and committed to excellence,” Dunlap said.