In Maine, lobster glut stirs union talk
Last year?s extra haul of lobsters pushed their price lower than seen in two generations. Combine that with increasing costs of fuel, bait, and regulations and the environment for a new union was born. The Main Lobstermen?s Union was organized by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers last year and already has about 600 members who want a louder collective voice at the state Capitol and who think it will be easier to focus on external pressures rather than racing each other out of business with unsustainably low prices. The IAM has not had an easy sell in convincing the lobstermen that it understands what they are going through and can help, but it is gaining traction in small lobster-reliant communities where people don?t want to see their way of life threatened.
See "In Maine, lobster glut stirs union talk", Jess Bidgood, The Boston Globe, October 20, 2013