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John Marty: Minnesota must end worker poverty
Senator John Marty Working people should not be trapped in poverty. This was part of the social contract America made with its people 80 years ago in the New Deal. Workers will receive a minimum wage....
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Unions: Surplus more proof Minnesota is on right track
Minnesota’s projected $1.9 billion state budget surplus, announced today by Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Myron Frans, is proof that progressive policies pushed by DFL lawmakers over the...
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On lobby day, Service Employees find bipartisan support
Rep. Denny McNamara and other legislators pledge support for SEIU home care workers like Rosemary Van Vickle (red coat), who want lawmakers to OK their tentative contract agreement with the state. A...
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Attack on Maplewood nurses prompts legislation to prevent future assaults
Maplewood Police Chief Paul Schnell listens to RN Mary McGiven’s testimony in a Senate committee hearing. Maplewood Police Chief Paul Schnell warned senators on the Health, Human Services and Housing...
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Want a healthier Minnesota? Pass paid sick, family leave policies
Sen. Katie Sieben (DFL-Newport), a lead offer on paid family leave legislation, joins a coalition of workers, faith leaders and business owners working on the issue. Workers shouldn’t have to choose...
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Rail union pushes safety measure requiring two-person crews
A bill that would require two-person crews aboard Amtrak and most freight trains operating in Minnesota passed out of two Senate committees last week. The safety measure is a top legislative priority...
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AFSCME members defend public service during Council 5’s Day on Hill rally
David Ruth, a mental health worker in Cambridge, calls for safe staffing levels at the state’s hospitals and group homes during AFSCME Council 5’s Day on the Hill rally. “Everyone in this room is an...
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For working families, 2015 session yields mixed results – and uncertainty
The Move MN Coalition launched a “Duct Tape Tour” of the state from MnDOT headquarters in St. Paul this morning. The frenzied finish at the Capitol yielded mixed – and uncertain – results for...
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It’s official: Dayton signs Minnesota home care workers’ contract into law
Pro-union home health care workers celebrated the results of their organizing election last August. In a victory for 27,000 home health care workers across Minnesota, Gov. Mark Dayton today gave final...
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As lawmakers haggle, faces behind education budget speak out in St. Paul
As Minnesota lawmakers announced a breakthrough in negotiations over the state’s E-12 education budget yesterday, the faces behind the financial figures – students, parents and teachers – rallied...
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Shar Knutson: Thank you for everything
As autumn begins, my time as Minnesota AFL-CIO President will come to a close. As I head into retirement, I wanted to thank you and everyone in Minnesota’s labor movement for the opportunity to serve...
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Lawmakers split over state employees’ contracts, set to take effect next month
Contracts covering about 27,500 state employees, including members of AFSCME Council 5 and the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, will go into effect next month after a legislative...
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Students, teachers, unions urge lawmakers to invest state budget surplus
U of M grad student Courtney Gildersleeve speaks at a town hall meeting on how to use the state’s $1.2 billion budget surplus. The projected $1.2 billion state budget surplus, announced by state...
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Unions: Dayton’s ‘jobs bill’ would strengthen state’s infrastructure and economy
Gov. Mark Dayton today proposed investing $1.4 billion in infrastructure improvements across Minnesota, including $82 million earmarked for projects in St. Paul. The governor called the bonding...
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House Republicans play politics with unemployment extension for steelworkers
Steelworkers pleaded with members of a House committee yesterday to pass a clean bill extending unemployment benefits to workers impacted by the Iron Range mining slowdown, but they couldn’t convince...
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Unions praise Dayton’s approach to building a ‘state that works for everyone’
In his State of the State Address last night, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton called on legislators to join him in addressing the state’s racial and geographic disparities, and in making needed investments...
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Drazkowski threatens to derail state contracts with Right to Work ‘poison pill’
Union members packed the room during a House committee hearing on Right to Work for state employees. It’s fair to say state Rep. Steve Drazkowski has a reputation for advancing extreme ideas. He’s...
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AFSCME members defend public services during annual lobbying day
Workers who have been injured or assaulted on the job at a state mental health facility stand up during AFSCME Council 5’s Day on the Hill rally. No one knows more about public services in Minnesota...
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For Minnesota’s women workers, ‘Equal Pay Day’ no cause for celebration
Women working in Minnesota will earn $382,360 less than their male counterparts, on average, over the course of a 40-year career. As bad as that sounds, Minnesota’s lifetime wage gap is actually better...
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Advocates stage last-ditch rally for paid family leave
Sen. Katie Sieben of Newport, a lead propoent of paid family leave, leads a rally outside the Capitol. With fiery speeches and foam “No. 1” fingers, advocates of paid family leave rallied outside the...
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