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The IAM Union is celebrating the grand opening of the Maine Museum of Innovation, Learning and Labor (Maine MILL), a landmark project dedicated to preserving the stories of the workers, families, immigrants and communities who built Maine’s industrial economy.
For IAM International President Brian Bryant, a native Mainer who grew up in the state shaped by its mills, shipyards and working-class communities, the opening is both personal and historic.
“Maine MILL tells the story of the people who built Maine,” said Bryant. “The mills of Lewiston and Auburn employed generations of working families and helped shape communities throughout the state. When many of those jobs disappeared, workers carried their skills, determination, and pride into other industries, including Maine’s shipyards, where many IAM Union members continue that tradition today. Preserving those stories matters because they are the foundation of who we are.”
Located in the historic former Camden Yarns Mill in Lewiston, Maine, the new 22,000-square-foot museum transforms a long-vacant industrial building into a vibrant center for education, storytelling, innovation and community engagement.
In 2025, Bryant led the IAM Union’s efforts to support the museum through the IAM International President’s Classic golf tournament. The event brought together IAM members, labor allies and supporters from across North America and raised more than $150,000 for Maine MILL, helping turn the vision of a permanent home into a reality.
“Supporting Maine MILL was an easy decision for our union,” said Bryant. “The labor movement has a responsibility to preserve the stories of the workers who built our communities and industries. Maine MILL ensures those stories will be shared for generations to come.”
The tournament reflected the deep connection between the IAM Union and Maine’s labor history. Many workers who once found employment in the mills of Lewiston and Auburn later worked in Maine’s shipbuilding industry, where generations of IAM members have continued the tradition of building, manufacturing and strengthening their communities through skilled work.
A lasting symbol of the IAM Union’s commitment to the museum can be found inside the new facility through the IAM Union Design Lab, an innovative space designed to connect visitors with the creativity, ingenuity and problem-solving spirit of Maine’s workers.
The IAM Union Design Lab is a dynamic, hands-on environment where creativity, innovation and learning come together. Equipped with tools for prototyping, crafting and digital exploration, the flexible space invites visitors of all ages to experiment, build and bring ideas to life while drawing inspiration from the museum’s permanent collection.
The space will also host regular make-and-take workshops inspired by artifacts and exhibits throughout the museum. Activities include designing personalized bandanas featuring patterns, shapes and artwork influenced by historic textiles, mill products and objects preserved in the museum’s collection.
“The IAM Union Design Lab is about more than learning history. It’s about experiencing the creativity and innovation that have always been part of working people’s lives,” said Maine MILL Executive Director Rachel Ferrante. “We want visitors to leave inspired by the stories they discover and empowered to create something of their own.”
Founded in 1996 as Museum L-A, Maine MILL began as an effort to preserve the stories of Lewiston-Auburn’s textile workers. Its collection started with machinery and artifacts saved by local residents when the last textile mill closed in 2001. Over the years, the museum expanded its mission to include the shoe, brick and manufacturing industries, as well as the broader stories of immigration, innovation and labor that shaped the region.
Today, Maine MILL houses more than 10,000 artifacts and hundreds of recorded oral histories documenting the lives and experiences of the workers who powered the region’s economy.
At the center of the museum’s permanent collection stands a massive Jacquard loom once used by Bates Manufacturing. The loom, which operated using punch cards to control intricate weaving patterns, serves as a powerful reminder of the innovation and craftsmanship that made Maine’s textile industry known around the world.
“The IAM Union has long been a powerful voice for Maine’s working people, and that legacy is a vital part of the labor history we preserve and celebrate,” said Ferrante. “Maine MILL celebrates the remarkable stories of the people who built this region through hard work and resilience. This museum is a gathering place, a resource and a tribute to working people.”
For Bryant, the opening of Maine MILL represents an investment in the future of Maine workers.
“Working people built Maine, and working people continue to build its future,” said Bryant. “The IAM Union is proud to have helped support this project. I hope our members and all visitors walk through these exhibits and come away with a deeper appreciation for the men and women whose labor built these communities and industries. Their story is Maine’s story.”
Photo by Bret Woodard
Photo courtesy of Maine MILL
Photo courtesy of Maine MILL
Photo courtesy of Maine MILL
Photo courtesy of Maine MILL
