Maine senator, brewery owner faces labor complaint

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A Maine state senator who is also the owner of a popular Portland brewery is facing a labor complaint stemming from attempts to form a union at her business.

Sen. Heather Sanborn, a Democrat, owns Rising Tide Brewery with her husband. The National Labor Relations Board's website states that the business received a signed charge on Sept. 16.

The labor board states that the complaint charges Rising Tide with violating a rule against discharging employees because they urged other employees to join a union. The complaint does not list the name of the employee.

Sanborn said Rising Tide left the decision of whether to unionize up to employees in January and they decided not to. She said she's "confident that when the National Labor Relations Board examines the facts, they will find that we conducted ourselves entirely appropriately."