Letters submitted by BDN readers are verified by BDN Opinion Page staff. Send your letters to letters@bangordailynews.com
I am writing as a concerned 37-year veteran of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to urge the public and Legislature to support LD 76.
What’s this bill? Well, within the department’s hatcheries division, our wages are extremely low, and DIF&W has been unable to allocate enough money to pay us for overtime work for years. They are looking to supplement their budget using the hatchery maintenance fund.
A temporary fix? Yes, but a necessary one.
Over the last three years in our hatchery division, we have lost three supervisors and several fish culturists to other agencies or the private sector. Most left for better-paying jobs and some out of frustration with issues in Augusta. The bottom line is that finding good, qualified people and keeping them is difficult with such low wages.
One of the most frustrating aspects of this situation is our long-term employees training new hires for a year only for them to leave for better pay elsewhere. A few years ago, we lost two out of four employees at the Dry Mills Hatchery in Gray. That was very stressful both physically and mentally for myself and my supervisor, both more than 50 years old.
I believe the only way to retain workers is to close the pay gap between state employees and private sector employees. Commissioner Judy Camuso acknowledged we are woefully underpaid at a recent DIF&W legislative committee meeting. She’s right.
LD76, while a temporary fix, will help address retention issues until the department can allocate more funds for salaries.
Michael Andrews
New Gloucester