M.U.R.A.L.: Saving the "History of Maine Labor" mural

Maine Voices: Why the Labor Department mural still matters, and always will | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

2011-09-17T16:46:00.000-04:00

Maine Voices: Why the Labor Department mural still matters, and always will | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

MURAL HOSTAGE VIGIL, DAY 148... Good Morning...

2011-08-24T09:56:00.000-04:00

WE'RE STILL HERE --- THE MURAL IS STILL IN CLOSET, SOMEWHERE IN AUGUSTA...AS FAR AS WE KNOW... WE AWAIT JUDGE WOODCOCK'S RULING...

Not Over Yet! check out this article in BDN...

2011-07-19T21:39:00.006-04:00

MURAL HOSTAGE VIGIL, DAY 114...

2011-07-19T09:53:00.003-04:00

GOOD MORNING!!!!

MURAL HOSTAGE VIGIL, DAY 101.... Good morning!

2011-07-06T07:02:00.000-04:00

WE'RE STILL HERE!

MURAL HOSTAGE VIGIL, DAY 93.... Good morning!

2011-06-28T09:59:00.002-04:00

Bay View Massacre.wmv

2011-06-27T07:27:00.000-04:00

MURAL HOSTAGE VIGIL, DAY 85.... Good Evening!

2011-06-20T18:45:00.002-04:00

Press Herald: LePage ordered mural removed sight unseen

2011-06-17T09:07:00.000-04:00

Read the article: http://www.pressherald.com/news/lepage-ordered-mural-removed-sight-unseen_2011-06-17.html

Read the stipulation: http://media.kjonline.com/documents/Mural_Stipulation1.pdf

Read the "letter" (which LePage had insisted was a "fax"): http://media.kjonline.com/documents/Anonymous_Letter_Mural1.pdf

MURAL HOSTAGE VIGIL, DAY 76....

2011-06-11T10:03:00.002-04:00

NY Times interview with Judy Taylor about ongoing legal battle over fate of mural

2011-06-08T10:00:00.000-04:00

News notes about the ongoing legal battle now in federal court about the fate of the History of Maine Labor mural seized by Paul LePage.

The New York Times article also includes an interesting interview with mural artist Judy Taylor.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/07/us/07questions.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

MURAL HOSTAGE VIGIL, DAY 72.... Good Evening! We're still here.....

2011-06-07T17:17:00.003-04:00

MURAL HOSTAGE VIGIL, DAY 55.... GOOD EVENING! --- FREE OUR MURAL!!!

2011-05-21T17:53:00.002-04:00

MURAL HOSTAGE VIGIL, DAY 54.... GOOD MORNING! --- FREE OUR MURAL!!!

2011-05-20T10:13:00.002-04:00

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=120589621357443
LINCOLN COUNTY TOWN HALL MEETING - TONIGHT IN NEWCASTLE!

MURAL HOSTAGE VIGIL, DAY 52: FREE OUR MURAL!

2011-05-18T08:29:00.000-04:00

Maine Sunday Telegram: Kany review visits Judy Taylor's show at Thomas Moser

2011-05-15T17:22:00.000-04:00

Daniel Kany's review of Judy Taylor's show at Thomas Moser in Freeport that includes the studies for the History of Maine Labor mural and the group show at Frost Gully Gallery down the street which is owned by Tom Crotty - Taylor's most outspoken critic as well as the Chair of the Freeport Republican Town Council.

MURAL activist Robert Shetterly awarded honorary Doctorate

2011-05-15T17:18:00.000-04:00

'A Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree was also awarded to Robert Shetterly, who was recognized by Provost Allen Berger for his “remarkable accomplishments as a painter, as an educator, and as an unfailing and articulate voice for social justice in America.”'

MURAL HOSTAGE VIGIL, DAY 45: FREE OUR MURAL!

2011-05-11T12:39:00.002-04:00

Check out 'Hard Work to Make Ends Meet, Sunday, May 15, 7 - 8 p.m. in Augusta!

2011-05-11T12:38:00.000-04:00

Notice of event: “Hard Work to Make Ends Meet,” Sunday, May 15, 2011, 7 – 8 p.m., at the Unitarian Universalist Community Church, 69 Winthrop St., Augusta. This readers theater performance of the words of late nineteenth century Maine working women is drawn from an 1888 report of the Maine Bureau of Industrial and Labor Statistics and based on a survey done by the bureau. Poetry and songs are incorporated. Open to all. Donations graciously accepted.

The Universal Notebook: Fighting off mural fatigue | The Forecaster

2011-05-09T14:47:00.000-04:00

The Universal Notebook: Fighting off mural fatigue | The Forecaster

MURAL HOSTAGE VIGIL DAY 43.... FREE OUR MURAL!!!

2011-05-09T11:10:00.002-04:00

MURAL HOSTAGE VIGIL DAY 42....

2011-05-08T09:22:00.002-04:00

Q&A on LePage:How's he doing? 'Not so good' | The Morning Sentinel, Waterville, ME

2011-05-08T09:19:00.001-04:00

OUR OPINION: Q&A on LePage:How's he doing? 'Not so good' | The Morning Sentinel, Waterville, ME

The Madness of Art - Director's Cut (Maine Version) Make sure to watch it all the way to the end...

2011-05-06T20:05:00.001-04:00

LePage links in the news

2011-05-06T09:34:00.000-04:00

The headlines of this collection of articles are a reminder of the troubles LePage has and is inflicting on the people of Maine. Of course, the mural is a big part of that since Americans don't like having their First Amendment rights ground into the dirt.

Robert Shetterly's op-ed published in this week's Ellsworth American

2011-05-06T09:29:00.002-04:00

The Court, the Mural, the Governor, the Law

In court today, April 22, 2011, Judge John Woodcock defended the right of an ideologically mean spirited man, Maine’s governor, to suppress the truth of Maine’s labor history depicted in Judy Taylor’s mural, ruling against the plaintiffs who sought a Temporary Restraining Order to have the mural re-hung in the Department of Labor. Often a strange relationship exists between rights and justice. They can be terribly out of sync. Frequently, in the courts, rights trump justice. The governor can now exult in his right to replace truth with propaganda. What good can come of this? How is democracy served by this outcome? What does it say of a nation of laws? And how can it be remedied?

The kind of right that protected the governor’s action is not included in any idea of unalienable rights. Unalienable rights flow from a philosophical notion about the dignity of all human beings and their equal claim for decent lives. That’s what the labor movement was all about. The governor’s right flows from a political system making laws to protect the right of people in power to insist on formulations of history and policy that are convenient to them regardless of the truth. This right has the same relationship to justice as a law that allows a multi-billion dollar US corporation to register in the Cayman Islands and pay no US taxes. Or, a law that allows a coal company to blow up the Appalachian Mountains. How do laws like these serve the people and serve justice.

They don’t.

I think any fair minded person would view Judge Woodcock’s decision as a triumph of rights and a travesty of justice. Are we a better, a more honest, a more free society now? Hardly. It’s a curious thing to be in a courtroom and listen to a smart judge sift through precedents that bear on his case. One would hope that the previous cases accumulate over time in a process of adding wisdom and justice to complicated situations. Instead, we often find layers of loopholes, exceptions and Orwellian logic meant to obfuscate justice and bewilder wisdom. Such is the law that protects “government speech.” Just to say those words makes one cringe with cynicism.

When a simple, accurate portrayal of history is determined to be partisan speech and is removed, we are in dangerous territory. When a court bolsters this prejudice with its legal prestige, we are in worse trouble. The remedy for us as citizens of Maine is not in the courts. Rarely, in situations like this, has the law been helpful. The people must insist on what is right because of its relation to justice, not its convenience for power. Sadly, the court has spoken. It’s time for the people to speak --- powerfully. That’s the only speech that would serve democracy. I urge you all to not let this issue disappear. It’s not just another embarrassing insult from our loose cannon of a governor. His action was another crucial step in the ideological process of making democracy into plutocracy.

Robert Shetterly
Brooksville

PRESS RELEASE FROM M.U.R.A.L. Wednesday, May 4, 2011

2011-05-04T23:57:00.001-04:00

Press Release from M.U.R.A.L. Wednesday, May 4, 2011
For Immediate Press Release--

Contact: M.U.R.A.L. (Mainers United for the Rights of Arts & Labor)
Julieanne Reed, bubbeh7@gmail.com (207)239-7292
www.mainelabormural.blogspot.com
HYPERLINK "http://www.facebook.com/mainelabormural" www.facebook.com/mainelabormural

Judge Woodcock schedules the next step in the ongoing legal battle over the Maine Labor
History mural

(May 4, 2011, Bangor, Maine) Federal Judge Woodcock convened a conference call with both
parties in the continuing legal case regarding the disposition of History of Maine Labor mural
case yesterday.

Judge Woodcock allowed the plaintiffs until May 24 to submit a proposed stipulation (a list of
facts and statements for the record). The State will have until June 2 to respond and then the
plaintiff’s lawyers will have another week to reply. The State must then file an answer by mid-
June.

Plaintiff attorney Jeff Young noted, "The case is ongoing - not lost. To date, all Judge Woodcock
did was deny our injunction seeking a Temporary Restraining Order. The TRO could have put a
quick end to this case but it requires a very high level of certainty that Plaintiffs will prevail. We
remain confident that we ultimately will prevail. Of course, the matter could be resolved quickly
if the Governor simply restored the mural to the Department of Labor."

Julieanne Reed of Mainers United for the Rights of Arts and Labor (MURAL) questioned the
governor’s priorities: “Governor LePage has chosen to put Attorney General Schneider and
Assistant Attorney General Stern on this case. Obviously, we don’t agree defending censorship
should be the State’s priority, but apparently this is a very important goal for Governor LePage
at this point in his term.”

MURAL’s Robert Shetterly summed up the situation: “We’re in court to defend democratic public
process and free speech from censorship. We’ll defend the First Amendment for as long as it
takes even if our Governor has forsaken it. Justice doesn’t take early vacations in Jamaica.”

Also currently at issue is the disposition of the mural (the distinction between where it is and
where it should be). According to the Administrator of the federal Office of Unemployment
Insurance Gay Gilbert in an April 4 letter to Laura Boyett, then the acting Commissioner of the
Maine Department of Labor, because 63.39% of the mural’s funding came from Reed Act
funds: “Federal UC laws govern the disposition of this property.” The letter states that Maine
must either return the mural to the Depart of Labor or repay to the Unemployment Trust Fund
63.39% of the current fair market value of the mural “as a condition of continued participation in
the Federal-State UC program.” According to documents acquired under the Freedom of
Access Act by MURAL from the Maine Department of Labor, as of April 25th the LePage
administration had not responded and so is potentially putting Maine’s federal unemployment
compensation funding in jeopardy.

MURAL’s Lee Sharkey comments that “It’s particularly disturbing to me in light of our FOAA
correspondence with the Maine Department of Labor that Governor LePage is misrepresenting
the funding of the mural. Various federal government agencies were the source of 81.5% of the
total, and none of the remaining 18.5% appears to have come from state Unemployment Compensation funds. The Governor is currying political favor with untruths when he says the
money came from employers’ contributions to Unemployment Compensation funds that would
otherwise go to Mainers. In fact, the Governor’s actions are putting our federal Unemployment
Compensation funds at risk.”

Press Release from Lawyers Jeff Young and Jonathan Beal regarding next steps in Mural Lawsuit...

2011-05-04T23:54:00.002-04:00

For Immediate Release
Contact:
Attorney Jeff Young, McTeague Higbee
207-725-5581 office
207-841-1881 cell

Attorney Jonathan Beal 207-879-1556

Gillian Britt, gBritt PR
207-450-9060 cell

Next Steps in Mural Lawsuit Determined

BANGOR, Maine (May 4, 2011) –Attorneys for the plaintiffs and the State held a status
conference yesterday with U.S. District Judge Woodcock to determine the next steps in the
lawsuit filed on April 1 to compel Governor LePage to return the labor history mural to the
walls of the Maine Department of Labor. Contrary to remarks by the Governor, the State has
not “won” the dispute and the case is far from over.

At the conference, the plaintiffs agreed that they will provide a proposed stipulation of facts
by May 24. The stipulation of facts will be a statement of undisputed facts in the case, such as
that Governor LePage had the mural removed from the Department of Labor walls on March
26. Once the plaintiffs provide these facts, the State must respond by June 2 and propose any
additional facts. Plaintiffs will then have until June 9 to respond to the proposed additional facts.
The State will then file an answer to the Complaint on June 13 and file a motion for summary
judgment seeking to dismiss the case by June 17.

“If the governor continues to refuse to listen to the will of the people and does not put the mural
back in its place, this case will most likely continue until at least August,” notes the plaintiff’s
counsel, Jeffrey Neil Young of the law firm McTeague Higbee. “The fact is, this fight over the
mural is over more than a work of art - it’s a fight to retain the history of Maine workers and it’s
a fight to demand respect for our workers from our government.” Young further stated that if the
summary judgment motion is denied, a trial in the case could take place later this year.

The plaintiffs filed the lawsuit against the state on April 1 and filed a temporary restraining order
(TRO) on April 8 to compel Governor LePage to return the mural, to order Governor LePage to
reveal the location of the mural, and ensure it is in good condition and protected.

The U.S. District Court denied the TRO on April 22 reasoning that the removal of the mural
constituted “government speech” and thus did not violate the Free Speech Clause of the First
Amendment.

The Plaintiffs are Don Berry of Sumner; John Newton, an industrial hygienist of Portland; and
three Maine artists: Robert Shetterly of Brooksville, Natasha Mayers of Whitefield, and Joan
Braun of Weld. The sixth original plaintiff , Jonathan Beal of Portland, who requested a public
hearing prior to removal of the mural, has withdrawn as a plaintiff so that he can continue to

serve as co-counsel in the case.

About McTeague Higbee:|
McTeague Higbee, founded in 1976, is a plaintiffs-only firm dedicated to giving voice to
people who often don’t have one. With experience in both state and federal courts including
national litigation, McTeague Higbee has particular prominence in asbestos litigation, workplace
discrimination, workers’ compensation, construction accidents, and personal injury. McTeague
Higbee and Jeffrey Neil Young, the lead counsel in this case, have brought a number of
successful class, collective, and mass actions on behalf of workers for violation of the ADEA,
the WARN Act, ERISA, and wage and hour laws, as well as individual civil rights actions. For
more information about McTeague Higbee, visit mcteaguehigbee.com.

About Jonathan Beal:
Jon Beal is an attorney practicing in Portland, Maine and focusing on representing Maine
workers and their unions, as well as disabled workers. Jon is licensed to practice in both Maine
and New Hampshire, and has extensive experience in litigating before the National Labor
Relations Board and other state and federal agencies, as well as in arbitrating on behalf of
Unions in both states.

MURAL HOSTAGE VIGIL: DAY 38...

2011-05-04T09:35:00.000-04:00

The whereabouts and condition of the mural remain a secret - undaunted, We're still here! - - - - FREE OUR MURAL!!!

Letter in Kennebec Journal: LePage hasn't won battle over mural yet

2011-05-03T08:47:00.000-04:00

From the May 3rd edition of the Kennebec Journal:

Judge John Woodcock's decision to deny a temporary restraining order in the mural case came as no surprise, noting during oral arguments that federal courts are reluctant to interfere in state affairs and inclined "to allow the status quo to exist while a more ordered and thorough process is completed."

Though Gov. Paul LePage said, "We won," his claim of victory is as premature as President Bush's "Mission Accomplished" speech in 2003.

Mural supporter Edgar Beem said, "We won the moment the U.S. Department of Labor wrote that LePage was out of order with the terms of the federal funding when he seized the mural. We won when (artist Judy) Taylor said LePage had not consulted her -- as required by her business contract -- when he seized the mural. The injunctions are simply about the disposition of the mural and what happens next."

Woodcock did not dismiss the case. He predictably denied a temporary restraining order seeking to restore the mural. The legal and moral fight for justice in the mural case will continue.

Still to be answered are the Labor Department's demand for the mural to be re-hung (or funds returned), the issue of LePage's breaching the artist contract and whether the administration violated the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990.

There will be serious consequences if Woodcock orders LePage to allow members of the public to check on the mural and either LePage refuses or the mural is damaged.

As Woodcock noted, "Maine's political leaders are ultimately responsible to the electorate."

Who ultimately wins the mural battle may not be decided until the next gubernatorial election. Mural supporter Joan Braun said, "We have already been proven right in the court of public opinion, but we do not intend to wait four years for justice."

MURAL (Mainers United for the Rights of Art & Labor):

Natasha Mayers, Lee Sharkey

Joan Braun, Julieanne Reed,

Edgar Beem, Dan Kany

Robert Shetterly

Valerie Carter, Research Associate, UMaine Bureau of Labor Education's Speech - Bangor Press Conference and Rally, April 19, 2011

2011-05-02T11:56:00.000-04:00

MURAL HOSTAGE VIGIL: DAY 36... Democratic Radio Address 4/30/11

2011-05-02T09:06:00.000-04:00

MURAL HOSTAGE VIGIL: DAY 35...

2011-05-01T15:32:00.002-04:00

MURAL HOSTAGE VIGIL: DAY 34 (Photo courtesy of Dory Smith Graham)

2011-04-30T17:25:00.000-04:00

MURAL HOSTAGE VIGIL: DAY 33

2011-04-29T09:07:00.000-04:00

' "Commissioned for the Department of Labor and
administered by the Maine Arts Commission" and under that it says
"Building Maine Communities through the arts." photo by [Kelly DeFreitas Staples]

This photo was taken yesterday (4/28) at the DOL in Augusta...

It hangs at the DOL-as a placeholder for the mural(at least in the eyes of those who know it should be returned there)... it makes a statement similar to the empty frames that hang in the Gardner Museum in Boston-in place of the stolen paintings.

Maine's child-labor mess

2011-04-29T06:38:00.000-04:00

Maine's child-labor mess
' ..the teenage employment bills might have passed through the legislature quietly by now had LePage not made a controversial decision to remove a labor history mural.'

Daily Sun Op-ed: Governor premature in celebrating mural victory

2011-04-28T20:16:00.000-04:00

In today's Portland Daily Sun:

"Editor,

Judge John Woodcock’s decision to deny a temporary restraining order in the Maine Labor History Mural case came as no surprise. Judge Woodcock noted during oral arguments that federal courts are reluctant to interfere in state affairs and that he was inclined “to allow the status quo to exist while a more ordered and thorough process is completed.”

Though Gov. LePage declared to a handful of his supporters that “We won,” his claim of victory is as premature as Pres. Bush’s “Mission Accomplished” speech in 2003, during which he declared victory in a war that rages on eight years later.

According to arts professional and activist Edgar Beem, “We won the moment the US DoL put in writing that LePage was out of order with the terms of the federal funding when he seized the mural. We won the moment Taylor stated publicly that LePage had not consulted her – as required by her business contract – when he seized the mural. The injunctions before Judge Woodcock are simply about the disposition of the mural and what happens next.”"

For the rest of the letter, see:

http://portlanddailysun.me/letters/story/governor-premature-celebrating-mural-victory

MURAL HOSTAGE VIGIL: DAY 32

2011-04-28T08:08:00.000-04:00

Just found this: "The mural, putting up the mural, or taking down the mural, never created a job and that’s my position"[LePage] "Hmm, the artist who was hired to paint the mural might disagree." (quoted from a comment to a blog post)

MURAL HOSTAGE VIGIL - DAY 31

2011-04-27T19:34:00.000-04:00

Please leave comments below posts here- or go to our facebook page and join in the conversation there- or both!

An Aunt’s Legacy Is Erased in Maine – Forward.com

2011-04-27T18:08:00.000-04:00

An Aunt’s Legacy Is Erased in Maine – Forward.com

The bully-in-chief's required reading

2011-04-27T17:58:00.000-04:00

Pat Le Marche speaks about our Bully-in-chief in Bangor Daily News

Maine guv hires outside lawyer to negotiate labor contracts

2011-04-27T17:05:00.000-04:00

Maine guv hires outside lawyer to negotiate labor contracts

9 to 9 singing 'NO! You Can't Do That!' (They sang this live for us at the April 19 Rally in Bangor)

2011-04-27T16:13:00.000-04:00

Edgar Allen Beem's Speech from April 19, 2011 Rally in Bangor

2011-04-27T16:05:00.002-04:00

Lee Sharkey's Speech from April 19, 2011 Rally in Bangor

2011-04-27T15:52:00.001-04:00

Kathy Day's Speech from April 19, 2011 Rally in Bangor

2011-04-27T15:50:00.002-04:00

Lisa Savage Speech from April 19, 2011 Rally in Bangor

2011-04-27T15:49:00.000-04:00

Natasha Mayer's Speech from April 19, 2011 Rally in Bangor

2011-04-27T15:46:00.002-04:00

MURAL HOSTAGE VIGIL - DAY 30

2011-04-26T16:41:00.002-04:00

Complete video of PMA panel discussion with Judy Taylor

2011-04-25T21:17:00.000-04:00

Whose Art Is It? from Portland Museum of Art on Vimeo.

MURAL HOSTAGE VIGIL - DAY 29

2011-04-25T13:26:00.000-04:00

Check out our facebook page-come join in the conversation there...

MURAL HOSTAGE VIGIL - DAY 28

2011-04-24T12:57:00.000-04:00

Judge John Woodcock’s decision to deny a temporary restraining order in the Maine Labor History Mural case came as no surprise. Judge Woodcock noted during oral arguments that federal courts are reluctant to interfere in state affairs and that he was inclined “to allow the status quo to exist while a more ordered and thorough process is completed.”

Though Gov. LePage declared to a handful of his supporters that “We won,” his claim of victory is as premature as Pres. Bush’s “Mission Accomplished” speech in 2003, during which he declared victory in a war that rages on eight years later.

According to arts professional and activist Edgar Beem, “We won the moment the US DoL put in writing that LePage was out of order with the terms of the federal funding when he seized the mural. We won the moment Taylor stated publicly that LePage had not consulted her – as required by her business contract – when he seized the mural. The injunctions before Judge Woodcock are simply about the disposition of the mural and what happens next.”

Contrary to what the governor seems to believe, Judge Woodcock did not “throw the case out.” He simply and predictably denied a temporary restraining order seeking to restore the mural. The legal and moral fight for justice in the mural censorship case will continue.

Still to be answered are the U.S. Department of Labor’s demand for the mural to be re-hung (or the Reed Act funds that paid for the mural returned), the issue of LePage’s breaching the artist contract and whether the LePage administration violated the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990.

As well, if Woodcock orders the LePage administration to allow members of the public to check on the disposition of the mural and either LePage refuses or the mural is damaged, there will be serious legal consequences.

As Judge Woodcock himself points out in his decision, “Maine’s political leaders are ultimately responsible to the electorate.” Who ultimately wins the battle over the Maine Labor History Mural may not be decided until the next gubernatorial election. According to activist Joan Braun, “We have already been proven right in the court of public opinion, but we do not intend to wait four years for justice.”

MURAL HOSTAGE VIGIL - Day 27

2011-04-23T12:05:00.000-04:00

Come join the conversation on our facebook page...

http://www.facebook.com/mainelabormural

The Universal Notebook: Reign of error in LePage's state of me | The Forecaster

2011-04-21T07:48:00.001-04:00

The Universal Notebook: Reign of error in LePage's state of me | The Forecaster

"Now, you may not think this is a big deal, but, ladies and gentlemen, if the governor can remove any work of art he doesn’t like from public view, does he also have the power to remove any book he doesn’t like from the state library? Based on the state’s argument, we have to presume he does:

“The present administration has now decided to remove that artwork because it was not satisfied that the message conveyed by the work at that location was appropriate.”

Video of Bangor Rally

2011-04-20T21:24:00.001-04:00

EXCELLENT VIDEO OF APRIL 19 RALLY IN BANGOR BY ART MAYERS

2011-04-20T16:55:00.000-04:00

Judge taking time to decide case

2011-04-19T21:18:00.001-04:00

http://new.bangordailynews.com/2011/04/19/politics/hearing-set-tuesday-on-plea-to-return-maine-labor-mural/

Official information for the Tuesday rally & press conference in Bangor

2011-04-16T08:10:00.000-04:00

PRESS CONFERENCE AND RALLY TO RETURN THE HISTORY OF MAINE LABOR MURAL
OUR RIGHTS, OUR FUTURE, OUR MAINE!

CONTACTS:
Rob Shetterly (207)326-8459, robert.shetterly@gmail.com
Natasha Mayers (207)549-7516, mayersnatasha@gmail.com
Joan Braun (207)585-2218, joanhenrybraun@yahoo.com
Check our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/mainelabormural) and blog (http://mainelabormural.blogspot.com) for updates.

WHAT: Press conference and Rally
WHERE: Pierce Park, next to Bangor Public Library, 145 Harlow Street, Bangor
WHEN: Tuesday, April 19, starting at 11:30, depending on when the court hearing ends, until 1 p.m.
In case of rain, the rally will move to the Lecture Hall of the library.

SPEAKERS INCLUDE: Attorney Jeff Young or Jonathan Beal, Rob Shetterly and Natasha Mayers from the Union of Maine Visual Artists, author Edgar Beem, art historian Daniel Kany, and representatives from the Maine State Nurses Association and from Food and Medicine.

MUSICIANS INCLUDE: David Dodson, Strong Like Bull, Nine to Nine.

PRESS CONFERENCE AND RALLY TO RETURN THE HISTORY OF MAINE LABOR MURAL
OUR RIGHTS, OUR FUTURE, OUR MAINE!

(Bangor, Maine) Supporters of the effort to return Judy Taylor’s History of Maine Labor mural to its rightful place in the Department of Labor in Augusta will rally on Tuesday, April 19th at about 11:30 at Pierce Park, next to the Bangor Public Library.

The rally will follow a 10:00 a.m. hearing in the Federal Courthouse on a suit charging that Governor LePage violated citizens' First Amendment right of access to the mural by removing it. The court proceedings are open to the public. Those who attend the hearing will march at its conclusion in a parade from the courthouse to the rally in Pierce Park. Everyone who supports the First Amendment, labor rights, and ethical governance is invited to join in.

“Whatever happens at the hearing,” notes artist Joan Braun, one of the plaintiffs in the suit against the governor, “we know that we will ultimately prevail. The will of the people of Maine cannot be disregarded without serious consequences. I think we all want the Governor to do the right thing and return the mural to the DoL immediately.”

In case of rain, the rally will take place in the Lecture Hall of the Bangor Public Library. For updates and additional information, please check the Maine Labor Mural Facebook page (www.facebook.com/mainelabormural) or blog (http://mainelabormural.blogspot.com).

Those who plan to attend the hearing should enter the courthouse on the left side of the building through the security checkpoint. Cell phones should be left in cars, as they are not allowed on the floor where the hearing rooms are located. It is best to park in the Abbott Square parking lot across from the library because parking at the Federal Buildling is limited to one hour.

Recent, related articles

2011-04-16T08:02:00.000-04:00

http://www.kjonline.com/opinion/removal-of-murals-drove-wedge-between-lepage-many-mainers_2011-04-15.html

http://www.timesrecord.com/articles/2011/04/15/opinion/commentaries/doc4da86ecbee6e9958727949.txt

http://thedailynewsonline.com/entertainment/article_b59debd4-64aa-11e0-bc3c-001cc4c002e0.html

http://www.wabi.tv/news/19316/judge-is-asked-to-intervene-on-labor-mural-issue

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/11/2161973/maine-ag-says-mural-removal-is.html

http://www.onlinesentinel.com/opinion/letters/workers-struggles-are-part-of-u_s_-maine-history_2011-04-10.html

http://www.mpbn.net/News/MaineHeadlineNews/tabid/968/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3479/ItemId/15960/Default.aspx

http://www.newmainetimes.org/articles/2011/04/11/editorial-maine-crossroads-when-art-becomes-threat-establishment/

Maine Times: When art becomes a threat

2011-04-16T07:50:00.002-04:00

http://www.newmainetimes.org/articles/2011/04/11/editorial-maine-crossroads-when-art-becomes-threat-establishment/

STOP the roll-back of Child Labor Laws! A note from Charlotte Warren, Associate Director of Maine Women's Lobby

2011-04-13T15:37:00.000-04:00

STOP the roll-back of Child Labor Laws!

Join us this Friday for the public hearing of L.D. 1346

First, Governor LePage went after the mural portraying Maine's child laborers. Now, he's going after Maine's child labor laws.

Maine’s child labor laws were first enacted in 1847.

Room 208, Cross State Office Building, Augusta, Maine. Please join us at the public hearing this *PLEASE* share this event! Let's STOP the roll-back of child labor protections. At a time when business leaders recognize that student achievement is critical to Maine's economic growth, these bills would shortchange students and impair Maine's economic success. A sub-minimum wage of $5.25 an hour. Now, there is L.D. 1346, which eliminates all those protections and does much more. Most startling is the sub-minimum wage the bill would create for any secondary student under the age of 20 or trainee for the first 6 months of employment. and keep them working until 11 o’clock on a school night. First, there was L.D. 516 which would permit employers to schedule teens to work up to 24 hours during the school week, up to six hours on a school day And, now, there is an attempt in Augusta to roll-back those protections. These child labor laws have been strengthened repeatedly over the years because educators complained that students forced to work long hours outside of school were falling asleep in class.

Questions? email me at cwarren@mainewomen.org.

Charlotte Thank you! http://bit.ly/fbnZoU http://bit.ly/h0eg5z http://bit.ly/g9ujFC Want more info about these bills? Check out some of our recent action alerts here:

Charlotte M. Warren

Associate Director

Maine

Women's Lobby

Phone: (207) 622-0851, ext. 24

Cell: (207) 441-9116

E-mail: cwarren@mainewomen.org

Web site: www.mainewomen.org

The Voice of Maine Women

OUR RIGHTS, OUR FUTURE, OUR MAINE!

2011-04-13T11:00:00.001-04:00

OUR Mural,OUR History.....

There will be a court hearing in Bangor on Tuesday, April 19 at 10:00 a.m. to hear and address the lawsuit against LePage and others and the removal of our mural from the Maine Department of Labor.

There will be a Press Conference and Rally at NOON also in Bangor! Please Stay tuned here and on our our FACEBOOK PAGE for updated info!

How one room in labor building got its name | The Morning Sentinel, Waterville, ME

2011-04-11T13:58:00.000-04:00

How one room in labor building got its name | The Morning Sentinel, Waterville, ME

Maine Labor Art's Removal Strikes Sensitive Nerve in Politics, Academia and the Art World

2011-04-09T07:32:00.000-04:00

Maine Labor Art's Removal Strikes Sensitive Nerve in Politics, Academia and the Art World

Restraining Order Request Filed Against Governor LePage in US District Court

2011-04-08T15:39:00.000-04:00

For Immediate Release
April 8, 2011

Contact:
Attorney Jeff Young 207-725-5581
207-841-1881
McTeague Higbee

Attorney Jonathan Beal 207-879-1556

Debra Tenenbaum 207-286-4271
gBritt PR

Request for Temporary Restraining Order Filed Against Governor LePage to Return Labor Mural to Department of Labor Lobby

PORTLAND, Maine – In a new development in the lawsuit filed in United States District Court against Governor LePage last week, attorneys Jeffrey Neil Young and Carol Garvan of McTeague Higbee, and attorney Jonathan Beal of Portland, filed a request for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) in Federal Court today. The request for TRO seeks to compel Governor LePage to return the mural to its proper place for public exhibit, at the Maine Department of Labor office in Augusta.

In the request for TRO, Plaintiffs also ask the Court to order Governor LePage and the other defendants to reveal the location of the mural that was removed from the Maine Department of Labor’s (MDOL’s) lobby on March 26, and to ensure the mural is in good condition and is protected. Attorney Jeff Young stated, “We are filing a TRO today in order to resolve this issue as quickly as possible, and hopefully return the mural to its rightful place. It is important to remember that by removing the mural, Governor LePage is infringing on the people of Maine’s First Amendment rights and denying everyone the opportunity to learn about, and be inspired by, the history of Maine’s workers. Our Constitution prohibits our government from taking down artwork simply because it disagrees with a viewpoint.”

The Complaint alleges that Governor LePage’s removal of the mural denied plaintiffs their First Amendment right to view the mural. Attorney Jonathan Beal commented, “this kind of censorship, based on the artist’s portrayal of episodes in the history of struggle and achievements of Maine workers, is contrary to every principle of this democracy, and the principles of the people of this State.”

The Plaintiffs are Don Berry, training director of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 567, of Sumner; John Newton, an industrial hygienist, of Portland; and three Maine artists: Robert Shetterly of Brooksville, Natasha Mayers of Whitefield, and Joan Braun of Weld. The sixth plaintiff is attorney Jonathan Beal of Portland, who requested a public hearing prior to the removal of the mural.

About McTeague Higbee:
McTeague Higbee, founded in 1976, is a plaintiffs-only firm dedicated to giving voice to people who often don’t have one. With experience in both state and federal courts including national litigation, McTeague Higbee has particular prominence in asbestos litigation, workplace discrimination, workers’ compensation, construction accidents, and personal injury. McTeague Higbee and Jeffrey Neil Young, the lead counsel in this case, have brought a number of successful class, collective, and mass actions on behalf of workers for violation of the ADEA (partnering with Goldstein Demchak in a suit against IBM), the WARN Act, ERISA, and wage and hour laws, as well as individual civil rights actions. For more information about McTeague Higbee, visit www.mcteaguehigbee.com.

About Jonathan Beal:
Jon Beal is an attorney practicing in Portland, Maine and focusing on representing Maine workers and their unions, as well as disabled workers. Jon is licensed to practice in both Maine and New Hampshire, and has extensive experience in litigating before the National Labor Relations Board and other state and federal agencies, as well as in arbitrating on behalf of Unions in both states.

# # #

MURAL ARTIST, JUDY TAYLOR'S STATEMENT -READ BY ARTIST, JOAN BRAUN AT APRIL 4,2011 RALLY - RETURN OUR MURAL,RESTORE THE NAMES

2011-04-07T08:29:00.000-04:00

STATEMENT FROM DONALD L. TUSKI,Ph.D. President Maine College of Art

2011-04-06T20:48:00.001-04:00

CHARLIE SCONTRAS' STATEMENT FOR APRIL 4,2011 RALLY- RETURN THE MURAL,RESTORE THE NAMES - READ BY ROB SHETTERLY

2011-04-06T20:12:00.000-04:00

DAVID A. MARSHALL'S SPEECH FROM APRIL 4,2011 RALLY - RETURN OUR MURAL,RESTORE THE NAMES

2011-04-06T19:53:00.005-04:00

BRUCE GAGNON'S SPEECH FROM APRIL 4,2011 RALLY - RETURN OUR MURAL,RESTORE THE NAMES

2011-04-06T19:43:00.005-04:00

LINDA CAMPBELL-MARSHALL'S SPEECH FROM APRIL 4,2011 RALLY - RETURN OUR MURAL,RESTORE THE NAMES

2011-04-06T19:26:00.003-04:00

EDGAR ALLEN BEEM'S SPEECH FROM APRIL 4,2011 RALLY - RETURN OUR MURAL,RESTORE THE NAMES

2011-04-06T19:15:00.001-04:00

ROB SHETTERLY'S SPEECH FROM APRIL 4,2011 RALLY - RETURN OUR MURAL,RESTORE THE NAMES

2011-04-06T19:08:00.004-04:00

NATASHA MAYER'S SPEECH FROM APRIL 4,2011 RALLY - RETURN OUR MURAL,RESTORE THE NAMES

2011-04-06T18:58:00.005-04:00

LEE SHARKEY'S SPEECH FROM APRIL 4,2011, RALLY - RETURN OUR MURAL,RESTORE THE NAMES

2011-04-06T18:40:00.003-04:00

EMAIL RESPONSE FROM REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE LES FOSSEL TO A CONSTITUENT-Mark Melnicove

2011-04-06T08:49:00.002-04:00

Tue, Apr 5, 2011 at 5:40 PM
subject RE: E-Newsletter courtesy of Rep. Les Fossel
mailed-by legislature.maine.gov

5:40 PM (3 hours ago)

Mark:
Thank you for your e-mail.
It looks like the Federal Government is going to do our work for us. This is a relief to me since I just don't have the time to take this on as a cause. I don't think the mural should have been removed. I think the best thing at this point would be that the Governor put it back without any further comment. There are too many more important things that I am responsible for, that I must do, for me to go further. You are welcome to pass on my comments.

Les

Maine GOP responds to mural controversy..

2011-04-05T12:09:00.005-04:00

AND a response from Poet and Educator, Lee Sharkey...

"We all need to respond to this with letters to the editor, etc.. It's a timely reminder that, however attractice a target LePage may be, he is not the source of the problem. I've sent the following to the Bangor Daily:

The statement the Maine Republican Party issued today about the Maine labor history mural shows that it’s not just Governor LePage who refuses to recognize the struggles Maine’s working people have gone through to earn a living wage and better their families’ lives. The mural depicts Mainers working in the textile and paper mills, garment factories, shoe shops, granite quarries, and woods. To call it “a waste of taxpayer funds” is an act of disrespect for the generations of Maine workers it depicts and for the labor of the artist, Judy Taylor, who spent a year researching and painting the mural. To call it “a self-honoring monument selected by Baldacci Labor Commissioner Labor Fortman” is an uncalled-for personal attack. Perhaps it is a tactic to keep us from remembering that the Republicans in the state legislature are every bit as responsible as the governor for the legislative program that would eliminate environmental protections, drastically modify child labor laws, cut medical benefits for seniors and low-income Mainers, and give a big tax cut to the richest among us while using the fiscal crisis this contributes to as an excuse to cut essential programs. We need to let our legislators know what we think about their disrespect and the plans they have for us."

Bring Our War dollars Home.mov

2011-04-05T11:47:00.000-04:00

Charlie Scontras Statement Mural Rally

2011-04-05T11:44:00.001-04:00

Rob Shetterly Labor Mural Rally 4 April 2011

2011-04-05T11:44:00.000-04:00

Put the Mural Back

2011-04-05T09:27:00.000-04:00

EXCELLENT VIDEO OF APRIL 4 RALLY IN AUGUSTA BY ART MAYERS (approx 13 min)

2011-04-05T09:09:00.000-04:00

link to "Put Back the mural"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f3BzVza6uM

Bangor Daily News on the US Dept of Labor letter and the capitol rally

2011-04-05T01:13:00.001-04:00

BDN regarding the US Department of Labor's insisting that the mural it paid for be put back up:
http://new.bangordailynews.com/2011/04/04/politics/us-labor-dept-steps-into-maine-mural-dispute/

BDN regarding the rally in the Capitol Building's Hall of Flags:
http://new.bangordailynews.com/2011/04/04/politics/us-labor-dept-steps-into-maine-mural-dispute/?ref=relatedSidebar

"RECALL PAUL" NECN's video of today's rally in the capitol

2011-04-05T00:01:00.003-04:00

http://www.necn.com/pages/video?PID=8A5hfcrfFS7I5CBENkUfj__7X5lfLS3n

NPR reports on todays actions at the capital

2011-04-04T23:59:00.001-04:00

http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=135121171&m=135121157

Michelle Norris from "All Things Considered" introduces MPB Susan Sharon on today's action at the capital, the lawsuits filed, and LePage's relationships to Obama, the NAACP, Republican senators and the people of Maine.

Actual DoL letter to LePage regarding misuse of funds

2011-04-04T23:54:00.002-04:00

http://media.kjonline.com/documents/US+Labor+Dept.+letter+to+Maine+Labor+Dept..pdf

Notice that the letter indicates the LePage administration must comply with the terms of the letter "as a condition of the continued participation in the Federal-State UC program" - not something LePage can afford to mess around with...

US Labor Dept. tells LePage: Display mural or refund money | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

2011-04-04T19:34:00.000-04:00

US Labor Dept. tells LePage: Display mural or refund money | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

Maine Voices: Governor's rhetoric interferes with goals, say GOP state senators | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

2011-04-04T01:21:00.000-04:00

Maine Voices: Governor's rhetoric interferes with goals, say GOP state senators | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

UPDATE: Current list of Speakers and Sponsors for Return Our Mural Press Conference tomorrow,April 4 at noon in the Hall of Flags, State House, Augusta

2011-04-03T09:54:00.002-04:00

Speakers:

Robert Shetterly and Natasha Mayers, Union of Maine Visual Artists
Maine College of Art (MECA) Don Tuski, MECA president
Worker from MSEA-SEIU Local 1989 (Christopher G. Quint Executive Director)
a statement from Charlie Scontras, labor historian
Bruce Gagnon, Maine Campaign to Bring Our War $$ Home
Jeff Young/John Beal, lawyers
Lee Sharkey, poet and educator
Reverend Linda Campbell-Marshall, retired United Methodist pastor
Rachel Talbot or another representative from NAACP
Jose Joey Lopez, state director, Maine League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
Ed Beem, writer, critic, The Forecaster
Rep. Bruce MacDonald, District 61
David Marshall, Portland City Council, artist and gallery owner
a statement from Judy Taylor, read by Joan Braun, artist

Sponsors:

Maine College of Art (MECA)
MSEA-SEIU Local 1989
Maine League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
CodePink
Maine Green Independent Party
Common Cause of Maine
Maine Campaign to Bring Our War $$ Home
Veterans for Peace, Maine Chapter 001
The Jim Harney Chapter VFP 003
Aucocisco Galleries
Carlo Pittore Foundation (Carlo was the founder of the Union of Maine Visual Artists)

RETURN OUR MURAL Press Conference Tomorrow,April 4!

2011-04-03T07:42:00.000-04:00

How are those creative and eye-catching signs and posters coming?

Satirically 'Business Friendly' or just Sincerely outraged! OR,if it's more your style,respectfully disappointed! Colorful,eye-catching and on point!

OUR MISSION?

RETURN OUR MURAL TO ITS PROPER AND INTENDED HOME!!!!!!!!!

JOIN US TOMORROW AT NOON IN THE HALL OF FLAGS,STATE HOUSE, AUGUSTA.

We value the support of those who can attend in spirit only and WE HOPE TO SEE MANY OF YOU THERE!

A poem by Barbaria Maria 3/2011

2011-04-02T18:36:00.000-04:00

Identity Theft (for the workers, artists, poets of Maine-many of whom are one & the same)

America, I hear you gasping,
mugged. Your home, your job,
your pension, your unions, your history,
your art. And when even
the memory of these is gone,
how will you stir? For what? For poetry.

Because poetry is not the ex-mayor
or the next mayor or the governor.
Poetry is not a Koch brother but what he heard
a neighbor say when he was eight and how his collar
scratches the back of his neck when he’s nervous
or how the light swept across his kitchen counter this morning.

Poetry is queen and king and everything,
the small gust of air from a battery powered
pocket fan that helps Betty
catch her breath when she reels
toward the floor on the company production line
after a double shift because a rag
got mangled in one of the machines
dispersing itself into hundreds of donuts
the first time around. Poetry is breath.

Poetry is not the talk, talk, talk,
or the big bloated idea
pushing a bad transaction,
but the other eye watching,
the ear making note of how words
that look like they’re going somewhere
start twisting backward to the opposite of truth,
and wrap around the throat.

Poetry is not the crosshairs
marking an Arizona Saturday
that coughs blood for lunch,
but the scope of things to come,
the angle begging the future
to slide toward us unharmed.
Poetry is not bodies dropping on the street
but the last thing they touched,
a rayon sleeve, a folded paper falling,
a hammered silver spiral pin below the collar.

Poetry is hunger, a thirst
rising off the lips of workers.
Poetry is spit and beauty.
Poetry is DNA. Our history
in minute detail. Was it yellow or gold,
cloth or plastic the little dog charm
she kept in her left pocket?

Was it blueberry pie your grandmother baked?
Try to remember?

America I hear you gasping, mugged.
Get some air, before you drift
unconscious and wake up jangling
with the sticky spare change
in the corporate cat’s pocket,
a legal alien in another world
than the one you were born in.
Get some air,
look for a detail you remember.
Count on the poetry.

Because poetry is not the ex-mayor
or the next mayor or the governor.
Poetry is not a Koch brother or a bank.
Poetry is queen and king and everything.
Poetry is oxygen.
©Barbaria Maria 3/2011

UPDATE TO SPONSORS AND SPEAKERS APRIL 4 RETURN OUR MURAL PRESS CONFERENCE

2011-04-02T14:28:00.001-04:00

Robert Shetterly and Natasha Mayers, Union of Maine Visual Artists
Maine College of Art (MECA)
Don Tuski, MECA president
Veterans For Peace, Maine Chapter 001
Worker from MSEA-SEIU Local 1989 (Christopher G. Quint Executive Director)
a statement from Charlie Scontras, labor historian
Carlo Pittore Foundation,(founder of the Union of Maine Visual Artists(UMVA)
Maine Green Independent Party
Bruce Gagnon, Maine Campaign to Bring Our War $$ Home
Codepink
Common Cause of Maine
Jeff Young/John Beal, lawyers
Reverend Linda Campbell-Marshall, retired United Methodist pastor
Rachel Talbot or another representative from NAACP
Jose Joey Lopez, state director, Maine League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
Ed Beem, writer, critic, The Forecaster
Rep. Bruce MacDonald, District 61
Lee Sharkey, Poet and Educator
Jeff Young/John Beal, lawyers
statement from Judy Taylor
The Jim Harney Chapter VFP 003
Aucocisco Gallery

PLEASE VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE! Check out new posts there...

2011-04-02T12:45:00.000-04:00

we've just posted A Letter to the Editor from Alan Crichton, Board President On behalf of the Board of Directors of Waterfall Arts,Belfast,Maine

(facebook link can be found in the right-hand column)

UPDATE TO SPONSORS AND SPEAKERS APRIL 4 RETURN OUR MURAL PRESS CONFERENCE

2011-04-02T10:09:00.000-04:00

Robert Shetterly and Natasha Mayers, Union of Maine Visual Artists
Maine College of Art (MECA)
Don Tuski, MECA president
Veterans For Peace, Maine Chapter 001
Worker from MSEA-SEIU Local 1989 (Christopher G. Quint Executive Director)
a statement from Charlie Scontras, labor historian
Maine Green Independent Party
Bruce Gagnon, Maine Campaign to Bring Our War $$ Home
Codepink
Common Cause of Maine
Reverend Linda Campbell-Marshall, retired United Methodist pastor
Rachel Talbot or another representative from NAACP
Jose Joey Lopez, state director, Maine League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
Ed Beem, writer, critic, The Forecaster
Rep. Bruce MacDonald, District 61
Lee Sharkey, Poet and Educator
Jeff Young/John Beal, lawyers
statement from Judy Taylor
The Jim Harney Chapter VFP 003
Aucocisco Gallery

PLEASE VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE!

2011-04-02T09:55:00.002-04:00

WE HAVE OVER 1000 'FRIENDS' OF MAINELABORMURAL ON FACEBOOK--MUCH SHARED COMMENTARY AND POSTING OF ARTICLES AND BLOGS. CHECK IT OUT!

(There is a link to our page in the column to the right)

Lawsuit: Return mural to Labor Dept. | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

2011-04-01T19:44:00.000-04:00

Lawsuit: Return mural to Labor Dept. | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

Artists File Federal Lawsuit Over Maine Labor Mural

2011-04-01T19:00:00.001-04:00

04/01/2011 4:20 PM ET from MPBN

The suit has been filed against Maine Gov. Paul LePage and other state officials for taking down an 11-panel mural depicting the history of labor in Maine that LePage ordered removed from the state's Department of Labor.

A lawsuit has been filed in federal court against Maine Gov. Paul LePage and other state officials for removing the labor history mural from the lobby of the state's Department of Labor.

The lawsuit has been filed on behalf of three artists, an attorney who requested a hearing before it was removed and two people in the labor community who have meetings in the building.

Artist Judy Taylor, who created the 11-panel mural that depicts the history of labor in Maine, is not one of the plaintiffs. Among other things, the plaintiffs are asking that the mural be restored.

UPDATE TO SPONSORS AND SPEAKERS APRIL 4 RETURN OUR MURAL PRESS CONFERENCE

2011-04-01T18:39:00.002-04:00

UPDATE TO SPONSORS and SPEAKERS AT APRIL 4 RALLY IN AUGUSTA
some of the speakers and sponsors: (sponsors in bold)

Robert Shetterly and Natasha Mayers, Union of Maine Visual Artists
Maine College of Art (MECA)
Don Tuski, MECA president
Veterans For Peace, Maine Chapter 001
Worker from MSEA-SEIU Local 1989 (Christopher G. Quint Executive Director)
a statement from Charlie Scontras, labor historian
Maine Green Independent Party
Bruce Gagnon, Maine Campaign to Bring Our War $$ Home
Codepink
Common Cause of Maine
Rachel Talbot or another representative from NAACP
Jose Joey Lopez, state director, Maine League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
Ed Beem, writer, critic, The Forecaster
Rep. Bruce MacDonald, District 61
Lee Sharkey, Poet and Educator
Jeff Young/John Beal, lawyers
statement from Judy Taylor
The Jim Harney Chapter VFP 003
Aucocisco Gallery

SNOW DATE ---RETURN OUR MURAL PRESS CONFERENCE

2011-04-01T07:44:00.000-04:00

Will be held on APRIL 4 AT NOON
HALL OF FLAGS,STATE HOUSE
AUSUSTA

A STATEMENT FROM LAWCHA (Labor And Working Class History Association)

2011-04-01T07:04:00.000-04:00

Dismantling Labor's Past in Maine

March 31, 2011

Over the weekend of March 26-27, 2011, Maine Governor Paul LePage had removed a mural celebrating labor history from the Department of Labor offices. In ten panels painted by Maine artist Judy Taylor and installed in 2008, the mural depicts the working people who were central in the making of Maineâ€™s rich industrial history. The panels portray diverse groups of working-class Mainers, including colonial-era artisans; nineteenth-century loggers and child laborers; shoe workers on strike with the CIO in Auburn and Lewiston in 1937; and women workers riveting ships at Bath Iron Works during World War II. Together with the renaming of department conference rooms previously named after important figures in the nation's labor history, such as Frances Perkins, the first female secretary of labor, whose family has Maine roots, this act constitutes an attempt to erase the historical memory and heritage of Maine's working people.

For those interested, Judy Taylor's website has detailed photographs of the mural.

The Museum in Lewiston-Auburn and Portland City Hall are deliberating with state officials to take the mural off the state's hands. The Portland City Council is set to vote on April 4 on accepting the mural. The state AFL-CIO and Union of Maine Visual Artists, which has coordinated protests on this, seems to be working to pressure Portland and the museum not to take the mural at this time, in hopes that it might be returned
LAWCHA Resolution

The following resolution has been adopted regarding the Governor Paul LePage's actions in Maine:

The Labor and Working-Class History Association, the largest organization of labor historians in the United States, supports efforts to preserve public art that represents the nation's labor history in local, state, and federal buildings. We deplore Maine Governor Paul LePage's removal of the labor history mural from Maine Department of Labor offices over the weekend of March 26-27, 2011. In eleven panels painted by Maine artist Judy Taylor and installed in 2008, this mural depicts the working people who were central in the making of Maineâ€™s rich industrial history. The panels portray diverse groups of working-class Mainers, including colonial-era artisans; nineteenth-century loggers and child laborers; shoe workers on strike with the CIO in Auburn and Lewiston in 1937; and women workers riveting ships at Bath Iron Works during World War II. Together with the renaming of department conference rooms previously named after important figures in the nation's labor history, such as Frances Perkins, the first female secretary of labor, whose family has Maine roots, this act constitutes an attempt to erase the historical memory and heritage of Maine's working people. LAWCHA urges Maine's elected officials to reinstall the mural in its original location and to return the names of distinguished labor activists to the rooms where they belong.

Labor and Working-Class History Association

Executive Committee
President, Kimberley Phillips
Vice President, Shelton Stromquist
Secretary, Cecelia Bucki
Treasurer, Thomas Klug
Immediate Past President, Mike Honey
Executive Assistant, Ryan Poe

Board
Randi Storch, SUNY - Cortland
Moon-Ho Jung, University of Washington
Laurie Green, University of Texas - Austin
Franca Iacovetta, University of Toronto
Erik Gellman, Roosevelt University
Thavolia Glymph, Duke Universityn
Ruth Milkman, University of California, Los Angeles
Joan Sangster, Trent University
Emilio Zamora, University of Texas, Austin
Francisco Barbarosa, University of Colorado, Boulder
Eileen Boris, University of California, Santa Barbara
Brian Kelly, Queen's University
Clarence Lang, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Priscilla Murolo, Sarah Lawrence
More Information

Maine Labor Mural Blog - the most recent news on the event.
Kevin Miller, The (Maine) Times Record, "Moved Mural Uproar Persists" (March 29, 2011)
Amanda Terkel, Huffington Post, "Maine Department Of Labor Quietly Removes Mural Over The Weekend" (March 28, 2011)
New York Times Editorial, "He Dreamed He Saw Kim Jong-Il" (March 27, 2011)