The voice of Saint Paul's working families since 1897
Members of the International Association of Machinists voted yesterday to approve new, nationwide collective bargaining agreements with United Airlines covering employees in the airline’s fleet service, passenger-service and storekeeper workgroups. The agreements cover more than 28,000 workers at United, Continental and subsidiary airlines, including 158 members of Machinists Local 1833 who work at the Minneapolis–St. […]
Volunteer members of St. Paul Pipefitters Local 455 and Minneapolis Pipefitters Local 539 serviced furnaces for the needy Sept. 28 during the 28th Annual HEAT’S ON Program. The day of service safeguards low-income, elderly, and disabled homeowners – and reduces their fuel costs. Area union contractors supplied parts and vehicles to the effort, which drew […]
The union working to organize home-care workers statewide is lending its support to employees who accuse Richfield-based Crystal Care Home Health of failing to pay their wages. Some claim they worked up to three months for the company without pay. SEIU Healthcare Minnesota helped organize a picket Wednesday morning outside Crystal Care, and more than […]
That extra value meal might seem like a bargain, but a new report shows low prices on the fast-food menu come at a high cost to U.S. taxpayers. How much? Nearly $7 billion a year. That’s the cost of public assistance for fast-food workers and their families, according to “Fast Food, Poverty Wages,” a report […]
Leaders in the U.S. Senate today unveiled a bipartisan agreement to end the partial government shutdown and extend the nation’s borrowing authority, but doubts remain as to whether the compromise will pass the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. As the spotlight shifted to the House, federal employees, union leaders and retirees paid a visit to Minnesota […]
Gloria Jones and May Sy Lawrence won’t get paid for doing their jobs until Tea Party Republicans in Congress get serious about doing theirs. Jones and Lawrence are essential federal employees – officially classified as “accepted employees.” As they have throughout the 15-day shutdown, they showed up for work today at the Social Security Administration […]
Is Stanley Walton’s work essential? That depends on whom you ask. Walton was one of 7,000 “non-essential” employees furloughed by the U.S. Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) today. He and about 150 others reported to the Whipple Federal Building at Fort Snelling, where they were handed letters instructing them to stay home until lawmakers in Washington […]
Supporters of comprehensive immigration reform clogged the streets of downtown Minneapolis today, joining a “National Day of Action for Dignity and Respect” and amplifying the call for Congress to fix the nation’s broken immigration system. More than 1,000 people – a crowd heavy on families and children – marched from the Basilica of St. Mary […]
One of Cretex’s key business partners won’t meet with workers on strike at the company’s Shakopee plant. So on Sunday those workers will take their message to Medtronic’s highest-profile event of the year: the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon. Thousands of marathon runners and spectators will find a billboard placed prominently along the route at Hennepin […]
Since Day 1 the Minnesota Orchestra lockout has been taking a personal toll on musicians. Now, one year into the work stoppage, things are getting personal for the orchestra’s Board of Directors too. Union musicians, members of the American Federation of Musicians Local 30-73, marked the one-year anniversary of the start of their work stoppage […]
Union Advocate 