Health care unions back debt reform push in MN Legislature
Jennifer Schultz has been cancer free for over two years, but being free from the debt she’s amassed in her battles with the illness feels a long way off for the four-time survivor from St. Paul. “Sometimes it feels like I’m in a constant cycle of medical debt,” Schultz told labor, faith and … [Continue Reading ...]
Indeed Brewing union could be sign of things to come as cannabis law kicks in
Indeed Brewing has a union label. Workers at the taproom and production facility in northeast Minneapolis successfully formed a union last month after over two years of organizing with the Twin Cities hospitality union, UNITE HERE Local 17. The new bargaining unit brings together 31 workers, … [Continue Reading ...]
Museum workers rally public support for contract campaign
Union members at the Science Museum of Minnesota tapped into a well of solidarity during their contract rally April 2, pulling support from hundreds of fellow AFSCME Council 5 members taking part in a convention across the street. Together, they turned Kellogg Avenue’s sidewalk into a river of … [Continue Reading ...]
Union members push bill to give striking workers unemployment benefits
After a wave of collective action saw American workers improve their pay and working conditions by going on strike, Minnesota lawmakers are weighing a change to the state’s unemployment insurance system that would lighten the economic hardship union members here face during a labor … [Continue Reading ...]
Feature Story
Museum workers rally public support for contract campaign
Union members at the Science Museum of Minnesota tapped into a well of solidarity during their contract rally April 2, pulling support from hundreds of fellow AFSCME Council 5 members taking part in a convention across the street. Together, they turned Kellogg Avenue’s … [Continue Reading ...]
Organizing News
Labor in the Community
Union members push bill to give striking workers unemployment benefits
After a wave of collective action saw American workers improve their pay and working conditions by going on strike, Minnesota lawmakers are weighing a change to the state’s unemployment insurance system that would lighten the economic hardship union members here face during a labor … [Continue Reading ...]
St. Paul educators give away 40,000 books
The St. Paul Federation of Educators gave away 40,000 books to children, families and teachers Dec. 16 as part of their international union’s “Reading Opens the World” initiative, which aims to give out 10 million free books. “As others ban books, we’re giving them out,” American Federation of … [Continue Reading ...]
More advocacy workers unionizing in Minnesota
Workers at two prominent Minnesota nonprofit organizations, The Advocates for Human Rights and Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, have moved to unionize this winter. About 110 staff members at Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid (MMLA) are participating in a union election after an overwhelming majority of workers … [Continue Reading ...]
State Labor Department seeks $2.4 million from two local subcontractors
After a 15-month investigation that spanned 19 construction sites, the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry announced Dec. 19 that it will seek to recover $1.2 million in unpaid wages and the same amount in liquidated damages from two subcontractors that allegedly schemed together to cheat 25 … [Continue Reading ...]
Labor Voices
2023 Teacher of the Year reflects on ‘life-changing event’
The 2024 Minnesota Teacher of the Year will be named at a ceremony in St. Paul on May 5, and Harding High School math teacher Michael Houston, the 2023 award winner, will be the one to make the big announcement. The ceremony will mark the end of a momentous year for Houston, a member of the St. … [Continue Reading ...]
Educators call on MN lawmakers to restore the promise of their pension
Hundreds of educators from across Minnesota packed the Capitol rotunda yesterday to demand that lawmakers fix inequities in the state-run pension plan covering most public school employees. Several DFL legislators joined the rally and pledged to advance legislation that would invest some of the … [Continue Reading ...]
Unions to stay vigilant at Capitol: ‘What we’ve got can go away in a vote’s notice’
Minnesota’s unions will approach the 2024 state legislative session looking to expand on – and defend – the historic package of labor standards and public investments passed by DFL lawmakers last year. Legislators returned to St. Paul on Feb. 12. Before their deadline to adjourn May 20, they are … [Continue Reading ...]
St. Paul educators vote to authorize strike: ‘It’s time for us to stop being disrespected’
Over two-thirds of the Saint Paul Federation of Educators’ members filed into the Carpenters union hall yesterday to take a strike vote, and an overwhelming 92% voted “yes.” Union leaders said they hope the resounding support educators showed for their bargaining team will push the St. Paul … [Continue Reading ...]
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