130th MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 555		LR 906(01)
	An Act To Expand the Rights of Public Sector Employees
	Preliminary Fiscal Impact Statement for Original Bill
	Sponsor: Rep. Sylvester of Portland
	Committee: Labor and Housing
	Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Preliminary Fiscal Impact Statement
Potential current biennium cost increase - All Funds Potential current biennium cost increase - Higher educational institutions Potential current biennium cost increase - Municipalities and counties
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	With the exception of certain employees whose duties include protecting public safety or ensuring an individual's procedural due process rights are not denied, this bill allows public employees to strike. This may result in increased bargaining and other direct and indirect costs to state and local governments. Unless replacement workers are available to continue the operations of local school administrative units and higher educational institutions classes may be cancelled in the event of a strike.  Depending on the length of the strike, the higher educational institutions may need to suspend operations for a semester and refund tuition, room and board and other fees as well as return federal financial aid. The impact of the bill will depend on the number and duration of strikes over time and cannot be determined at this time.