Maine § 2072. - Hiring priority

§ 2072.. Hiring priority

Effective January 1, 1987, any person, corporation or other entity purchasing, acquiring, leasing or otherwise obtaining from a financially related entity the right to operate a rail line or abandoned rail line in this State shall give a first right of hire to fill any subordinate official or nonmanagement position in the staffing of the new rail operation in the following order of priority:   [PL 1987, c. 327 (NEW).]

1.  Priority under federal law.  First, all employees who are required to be accorded priority under federal law, employee protection obligations imposed by law, regulation or contracts which require the new operator to select employees of the prior operator or existing or future collective bargaining agreements;

2.  Seniority rights.  Second, all employees, in seniority order for each craft of class, who hold or held seniority rights on the line to be operated when last operated by its prior operator;

3.  Railroad unemployment.  Third, employees drawing benefits under the United States Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, United States Code, Title 45, Section 367 et seq., in the area in which the line to be operated is located, and then within the State; and

4.  Others.  Fourth, any other individual.