Despite reports that some Maine-based activists in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers: (IBEW) want Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) and national Democrats to jettison Gov. Janet Mills (D., Maine) in favor of Graham Platner in the race against Sen. Susan Collins (R., Maine), the union itself just presented Collins the prestigious John D. Dingell Award in celebration of her work that exemplifies and promotes labor-management cooperation.
Collins and Sen. Jack Reed (D., R.I.) jointly received the award from the IBEW and from the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) in part because of their work advancing the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
“LIHEAP provides vital relief to thousands of people in Maine and millions throughout the country, helping working families and those on stable incomes avoid the constant worry of having to choose between heating their homes and covering other basic necessities,” Collins said upon receiving the award, which she said she is “honored” to receive.
LIHEAP is a federally-funded program that helps low-income households pay utility bills, address energy crises, and lower costs by improving home energy efficiency through weatherization programs. Almost six million households nationwide received LIHEAP assistance in 2025, and Maine households received almost $50 million through it.
From her perch as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Collins secured a $20 million increase in funding for LIHEAP in the latest Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, bringing its total funding to $4 billion.
“In bipartisan partnership with Senator Reed, we will continue to work to strengthen and support this critical program so that more families can afford keep their homes safe and warm during the harsh winter months,” Collins added.
For years, Collins has maintained a pro-labor record in the Senate, which she will likely lean on, regardless of whether Democrats nominate Mills or Platner.
