Washington County workers ready to strike for staffing, mental health benefits
Members of a bargaining unit representing nearly 900 Washington County employees voted in late February to authorize a strike, demanding a new union contract that addresses understaffing and improves their access to mental-health benefits. Now, Local 517 of the American Federation of State, … [Continue Reading ...]
For St. Paul city workers, bargaining shifted into high gear after Her took office
Clerical and technical workers at the City of St. Paul ratified new three-year contracts earlier this month after just three bargaining sessions, locking in wage increases that will ensure most union members earn $20 per hour by 2028. Negotiations between the city and two AFSCME locals, which … [Continue Reading ...]
Report exposes union-busting in Minnesota nursing homes
Researchers at Columbia University issued a report last week that shines a light on rampant union-busting in Minnesota’s nursing-home industry, particularly in facilities that rely heavily on public subsidies. The report, “Democracy Denied at the Bedside: Union Avoidance in Minnesota’s Nursing … [Continue Reading ...]
Detained Guild member’s son attends SOTU as Omar’s guest
The Trump administration’s chaotic, violent surge of immigration-enforcement activity in Minnesota this winter has upended thousands of lives, Gerardo Orozco Guzman’s among them. But Guzman, 27, had a rare opportunity to bear witness to that devastation when President Trump delivered his State of … [Continue Reading ...]
Feature Story
Report exposes union-busting in Minnesota nursing homes
Researchers at Columbia University issued a report last week that shines a light on rampant union-busting in Minnesota’s nursing-home industry, particularly in facilities that rely heavily on public subsidies. The report, “Democracy Denied at the Bedside: Union Avoidance … [Continue Reading ...]
Organizing News
Labor in the Community
Detained Guild member’s son attends SOTU as Omar’s guest
The Trump administration’s chaotic, violent surge of immigration-enforcement activity in Minnesota this winter has upended thousands of lives, Gerardo Orozco Guzman’s among them. But Guzman, 27, had a rare opportunity to bear witness to that devastation when President Trump delivered his State of … [Continue Reading ...]
Workers call on Fairview, other health systems to adopt best practices for ICE interactions
Health care facilities have not been spared the aggressive tactics deployed by federal agents during the recent surge of immigration enforcement in Minnesota. Now, local unions, immigrant-rights groups and lawmakers are demanding health systems adopt new “best practices” to keep patients and workers … [Continue Reading ...]
New state grants support suicide prevention in construction industry
The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry awarded new grant funding last month to help two organizations tackle a leading safety hazard in the construction industry: mental health. Minnesota Building Trades unions partnered last year with their employers, represented by the Associated … [Continue Reading ...]
Poll finds ‘staggering’ support among Minnesotans for massive ICE protest
Faith, labor and nonprofit groups behind the massive “ICE Out of MN” day of action Jan. 23 released polling today that suggests nearly a quarter of Minnesota voters participated in the protest. Hundreds of businesses closed Jan. 23, as tens of thousands of protesters marked a “Day of Truth and … [Continue Reading ...]
Labor Voices
Thoemke: Responsible contracting, union organizing are good for business – just ask this local printer
As a union organizer, I meet a lot of workers who’ve been treated unfairly – and plenty of employers who want nothing to do with fixing it. So when I got a call about Seven Corners, a local printing shop, I expected another long, uphill battle. Workers there were fighting to dissolve their sham … [Continue Reading ...]
Unions decry Trump shutdown, urge health care fix
Using public-service workers as political pawns, President Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress allowed the federal government to shut down Oct. 1 rather than negotiate with Senate Democrats over a mounting health care crisis. As the shutdown extends into a fourth week, over … [Continue Reading ...]
Union members at No Kings: ‘We have to show solidarity’
At “No Kings” demonstrations across the state Saturday, Minnesotans turned their individual anger over the alarming, anti-democratic trajectory of President Donald Trump’s second term into a collective display of strength, unity and hope. Many labor unions endorsed “No Kings” events both here and … [Continue Reading ...]
St. Paul school levy gets labor endorsement
Organized labor is backing the campaign to pass a new operating levy in the St. Paul school district this fall. Administrators and union leaders say the increased funds are necessary to maintain educational programming and avoid steep budget cuts. Delegates to the St. Paul Regional Labor … [Continue Reading ...]
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