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| Rivard |
Members of the Maine State Employees Association, Local 1989 of the Service Employees International Union, elected Ginette Rivard as their new president at the recent annual convention held in Portland.
Rivard, of Caribou, most recently was a regional supervisor for the Maine Department of Health & Human Services in Caribou, and has also served as the union’s vice president since 2008. She started Nov. 1 as president.
“In this difficult economy, it’s more important than ever to keep Maine communities safe and strong,” Rivard said. “From Kittery to Fort Kent, Maine’s snowplow drivers, public health nurses, public safety workers and other public servants provide important services that strengthen all of our communities. So it’s a real honor to advocate, as the president of MSEA-SEIU Local 1989, for quality public services throughout Maine and respect for all Maine workers,” she added.
Also at the convention, MSEA-SEIU members elected Scott Austin, of Winslow, as vice president. Austin works as an environmental specialist for the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. An MSEA-SEIU steward, Austin also serves on the union’s board.
MSEA-SEIU members also honored Bruce Hodsdon, outgoing president of the past four years. Hodsdon retired Oct. 31 after more than 34 years of service with the Maine Department of Transportation.
The employees union, represents over 15,000 Maine workers, including all three branches of Maine State Government, the Maine Community College System, the Maine Military Authority, Maine Maritime Academy, Maine Turnpike Authority, Maine Public Employees Retirement System, Child Development Services, the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Maine People’s Alliance. The union also represents home-based child-care providers, direct-care workers at Home Care for Maine and Alpha One, and workers at the Green Valley Association in Patten and Treats Falls House in Orono.
