Our Mission

The WCCC seeks to represent the interests of management on workers’ compensation issues affecting employers in Maine.

Our Theme

Keep Maine’s comp system cost-effective. Pass NO bills that will add to the costs of the system. Keep Maine business competitive both nationally and globally. Don’t spend more on comp so that LESS is available for additional jobs, health insurance and other employee benefits.

Keep Maine’s comp system stable and predictable. Pass bills that will remedy problems inherent in section 213.

Keep Maine’s comp system simple to minimize litigation and lessen the need for attorney involvement.

Protect Blue Ribbon Commission reforms that are working well now.

Our Organization

The WCCC was formed in 1994 by trade organizations, self-insurers and insurers who wanted to have a presence at the innovative and newly formed 4X4 Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) as they developed the rules to support the new statute. In 2004, the WCCC supported legislation to change the board structure to seven members: three Management, three Labor, and the Executive Director.

From the start, the WCCC published a newsletter (The WCCC Alert) which kept its members informed as to the activities and developments at the Workers’ Compensation Board. That newsletter continues today with editions coming out approximately four times a year or when there is news from the WCB that needs to be spread to those interested parties who are on the mailing list. The WCCC Alert is also available via email.

For two Legislative Sessions after the Comp Reform which resulted in a new statute, the Legislature was pretty much silent on legislation to change the statute again. They gave the statute a little bit of time to mature. However, in 1996, over 30 bills were introduced which would have brought serious erosion to the reforms. The WCCC expanded its activities to the State House side of the river. The WCCC was behind a Grass Roots effort which brought many employers to the State House to let their Legislators hear just how they felt about changes to the statute.

As the 1993 statute has matured, we have discovered that, for the most part, it is a very balanced and fair statute. However there are some areas that are not working well for employers or employees and that need to be adjusted.

Since 1998, numerous bills have been heard that would chip away at the statute. In 2004, the legislature restructured the Workers’ Comp Board from 4 Management and 4 Labor members to 3 Management and 3 Labor with the Executive Director as a member of the board. The new board structure may have put an end to deadlock, but it has become more and more clear that the Executive Director controls the votes as the tie breaker. Unless the 7 member board votes unanimously, there is liable to be a 4-3 vote. One side is satisfied, and the other is not. Decisions do get made, but the tension continues. Section 213 and Medical Fee Schedules are of great concern.
In 2007, there were more than 20 bills, but, for the first time in recent memory, the Republicans and Democrats made a concerted effort to compromise and most were resolved. (See Legislative Update for details.)

During the 124th Session of the Legislature (2009-2010) bills regarding misclassification of employees and allowing the Workers’ Comp Board to issue stop work orders within the construction industry got the most legislative attention.  See the Legislation page for more information.

The WCCC is the central voice for employers in the State of Maine on worker’s comp issues.