Several weeks ago, Maine Governor Paul LePage (R) stirred things up by ordering the removal of a mural in the Maine Labor Department depicting a few scenes from the labor history in the state. Scenes from Rosie the Riveter tat Bath Ironworks to the a shipyard strike. According to Huffington Post:
The governor has said that he wants the mural out of the Department of Labor because it doesn’t fairly depict the perspective of employers: “Were the bosses in the mural? Were the employers in the mural? History is about two sides … I think it’s inappropriate for [the mural] to be in the Department of Labor when everyone comes in, employers and employees, and they’re confronted by one side of the question.”
The mural was erected in 2008, after the Maine Arts Commission chose Taylor’s piece through a jury selection.
There was a hue and cry over the quiet removal of the mural and now the empire strikes back. The U.S. Labor Department has told Maine to put the mural back or pay the price, in today’s Huffpost:
The federal government is stepping into the labor mural controversy in Maine, demanding that the state either put the artwork back up at the Department of Labor or repay the cost of the mural.
In a letter first obtained by the Associated Press, Gay Gilbert, a senior U.S. Labor Department official, writes that the federal government appropriated the funds to Maine for the mural.
“We understand, however, that the mural is no longer on display in your headquarters,” writes Gilbert. “Thus, it is no longer being used for an administrative purpose permitted by the Reed Act. Accordingly […] the state must […] return to its UTF [Unemployment Trust Fund] account the amount of the Reed Act funds represented by the mural.”
An alternative, Gilbert adds, would be to simply put the mural back up at the Department of Labor or another state employment security building.
It seems that the good governor is a bully. Why would he arbitrarily decide to remove artwork? Was it up to him?
Over 300 protesters were outside the Maine Department of Labor and were chanting: Put is Back and Recall Paul.
so labor history murals are cool but ten commandments and in god we trust gotta go. i guess socialists can’t stand competition from alternate deities
@e
What socialists? I don’t see any socialists.
So let me get this straight….people who work are socialist? Sorry, I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. No rich daddy here.
murals depicting hardworking blue-collar folks advancing the glorious revolution against the bloodsucking rich folks are standard motifs from the soviet union. in america, employers are to be commended too
e,
what is wrong with you? You don’t actually contribute thoughtful ideas for discussion and I am wondering why? You are smart, you are very smart. You are a hard working blue collar guy, what is your philosophy based upon? The labor movement in this country was critical in creating the 40 hour work week, safety standards, a minimum wage, and a whole host of other benefits. Why are you so resistant to understanding that this past history contributed to you working conditions of today?
Easy to solve. Put it back up, in a storage closet. You’ll be in compliance with the federales and the Department of Labor (Maine) can’t be seen as prejudicial against employers.
marin – that is so not a ‘solution’ – solutions like that is why there is so much partisan bickering. Either take it down or put it up – not put it up in a closet.
This governor does seem very petty – is this the most important thing in the state of Maine to spend money on? It does not come down for free. Is he that thin skinned that depiction of the labor movement offends him? I can only assume that his 38% vote total is reducing.
great points Pat!
Pat, imagine being a plaintiff for a labor dispute case being argued before the Supreme Court and then waiting in the Wal-Mart Antechamber.
Would you have an impression that your case would be argued fairly?
Would you tell that plantiff to grow some thicker skin?
marin – comparing the lobby of the State of Maine DOL and the Supreme Court is a stretch – but having the lobby of the DOL depict (from a selection of entries) the labor events is not anti employer – one panel shows Rosie the Riveter – is that anti employer? Child Labor depiction? (well, I guess, as that governor wants to remove some child labor laws)
Yes, I would tell that person to get a thicker skin – it is art, and should be viewed as such.
Is this the most important thing that a state with limited funds should spend its money on?
Why is Frances Perkins controversial – she was the first Woman cabinet member (Sec DOL)? He is even removing her name from a conference room.
Does the State of Maine DOL adjudicate labor cases and disputes? How do they show impartiality?
Would you support the Chamber of Commerce or any megacorporation buying space or artwork to display at the DOL? Maybe a fountain showing tricke down economics? 😉
I think this should simply be a matter of making sure that the government doesn’t show bias one way or the other. I don’t see anything wrong with that – so either allow for “management”-type artwork OR take down the pro-labor mural.
marin – are you also defending the removal of Frances Perkins name from the conference room? and the state paying to remove art work that was selected by some sort of a committee (I assume that management type art work (what ever that means) was also considered)?
and the state spending money to remove this art?
I guess that is one way that government can create jobs – should keep two unemployed people working for at least a week or two.
Pat, I think your missing the point.
If you walk into a place thinking your going to get an impartial hearing to address the facts of a case and see symbolism that shows a bias.. The government loses credibility.
You can argue about a name or what a picture is or isn’t but at the end of the day you are supporting an arguement that favors the discrimination of one over another.
@marinm
Why does labor threaten you so much, Marin? Doesn’t the mural hang in the Dept. of Labor in Maine?
Pictures of things like Rosie the Riveter at the Bath Iron Works doesn’t threaten me a bit.
How dare some governor assume it was his right to take down a mural?
What is to keep some clown from coming in and demanding that the murals at the WWII museum be removed because that person feels threatened. Give me a break.
Stop!!! This country was built on labor meaning people who work. Why is a picture of Frances Perkins a threat? Why is Rosie the Riverter a threat? Since when is the American worker the enemy?
No, Marin, you have missed the point. Never in my lifetime have workers been looked on with such scorn. YOu are deluding yourself to think that you are one of ‘them.’
The more I read about this Maine DOL situation, the more outraged I become. This new breed of cat who has come in is ill bred and dictatorial. They bear careful watch.
Most importantly is they are trying to votes into a mandate. They should have learned from the Obama slip from grace–it doesn’t take long for voters to become disenchanted, once they see the gold on their streets isn’t going to hop up in their pockets.
@Moon-howler
Labor here isn’t what this is about. It’s about fairness, the perception of equality and the idea that we are all equal under the governments laws.
Can you imagine going to the Department of Maine Labor Board and having the impartial judge wearing a ball cap that said “Exxon loves Maine”.
If you were a blue collar average Joe sixpack do you think you’d get a fair hearing in that court?
I just want one person to say that they would think it’s fair for that Judge to wear a non-union or anti-labor shirt or symbol and say that it’d be just as fair as having that mural on the wall.
Either we are equal or we’re not. That’s what I feel is being threatened here, MH.
Moon,
This is such a nonsense argument.
Marinm,
Do you even understand what you are arguing? Do you know why the DOL was created. It was created to ensure that wage EARNERS had fair treatment in the work place. Who ELSE would be on a freakin’ mural BUT the laborers???!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=–aQMVJH1xA
@Marin, it is a mural of labor, in the Maine Department of Labor. Seems appropriate to me.
What YOU aren’t seeing is this jerk governor’s hostility to labor.
Rosie the Rivetor, now there’s a real threat.
The Department of Labor was created to ensure fairness to workers. Imagine that. An entire department just to cut the shackles.
i am in favor of replacing the communist labor mural with patriotic rosie the riveter, assuming the war-is-never-the-answer folks post no objections
Rosie the Riveter was up there. She got taken down. Pay attention.
Marinm –
You sound very much like the Government employee you talk about disdaining. You are on the Government payroll, you work on a Government contract, you work to the Government rules, the Government sets your work policy and procedures – anyway you spin it, you are really a Government worker. The way you proposed to ‘solve’ the issue is typical of the backwards thinking of many individuals.
JBell, thanks for joining the conversation. I just wish you had brought something meaningful to say.
I can be terminated at the pleasure of the government. No notice. No assistance to find something else. Nothing. Does the same happen to a federale outside of the probation period? Errrrtt!!! Wrong answer but you can play the bonus round anyways. What normally does happen to a government employee that is useless but can’t be fired…..
They are promoted or transferred to become someone else’s problem.
Thanks for playing!!!
What this thread has done is solidify my opinion that people want fairness only when it benefits their opinion or observation of how the world should work. The reality of course is that sometimes the big guy SHOULD win and sometimes the little guy will win. But the cases shouldn’t be decided on who is bigger, stronger or weaker but the facts of a case.
People’s bias are showing.
perfect nail on the head comment (#21).
BTW, (fair warning) please do not read this if your looking for something to be added to the discussion. Does anyone else see the screen capture of the video for this thread and find it just a bit creepy? Take a close look.
Anyway, what better point of view on the subject than from a self declared hard core socialist and the George Soros funded Huffington Post. Can’t get more objective if you tired, or am I lying about that? Who knows…
You almost made it…almost. then you had to start in on the socialist and soros and Huff Post. That just sounds stupid. Who cares?
Let’s discuss the issues.
Marin, I fail to see why you think a mural showing workers is threatening. I also fail to see why you think one person should be making the decision as to what is appropriate and what isn’t.
What is it that you think I am biased about as far as this post and subsequent thread go?
One of my biases is about history. I love American history. I feel like I can’t learn enough.
Not really sure how I can further clarify this. To me this isn’t directly about the mural but the perception of bias by the govt.
This is not about labor.
This is not about unions.
This is not about a governor who could’ve used more tact.
This is not about being pro-business.
It’s about the perception of the govt being fair to everyone. Equal to all. Not being biased. Not choosing the winner before an issue is heard.
It’s about respecting the govt because you know they’ll (should) be impartial, non-prejudicial and that justice is blind.
When the govt can’t be trusted to follow it’s own laws – lawlessness will follow.
I suppose if you look at it that way, having a Dept. of LABOR is a sign that the government values labor. I hope it values labor. It was built on labor and toil.
If we see a military mural, do we think that our government is pro military, against peace? What do we think?
Is it against the law to be a worker? The fact that it is the Dept. of Labor defines it.
I simply don’t know what else to say to you marin. What laws is the govt breaking? Working for a living shouldn’t be so controversial.
I think it is also very naive to assume that the government is going to be impartial. It has never been impartial. Justice is not blind nor is it justice.
You can view the panels here. I did a Post for it but it is copyrighted.
http://www.dirigoblue.com/diary/2809/acting-head-of-dept-of-labor-orders-murals-in-lobby-removed
marin – can you look at the panels, and indicate which ones you would think show some type of bias?
would it be child labor, or textile workers, or an apprentice learning, or what?