As strike ends, Allina nurses say they’re stronger, more unified than ever

Union nurses at five Allina care centers in the Twin Cities lowered their picket signs at 7 p.m. tonight, marking the end of an historic, seven-day strike that energized and unified members of the Minnesota Nurses Association. At United Hospital in St. Paul, organizers expanded the picket line to accommodate an influx of supporters eager […]

Peter Rachleff: East Side Freedom Library celebrates second anniversary

This summer, the East Side Freedom Library is celebrating its second anniversary. Our roots lie in the vision that Dave Roe and Rudy Perpich had in the 1990s of a Labor History Center to tell the stories of the state’s workers and their labor movement, and our branches grow far and wide, reaching out to […]

After tumultuous month, staff at St. Paul charter school near first contract

  Earlier this month, teachers at Community School of Excellence in St. Paul pushed back against administrators’ plan to cut classroom programming and lay off personnel, including most members of the fledgling staff union’s bargaining team. Now, not only have several programs been taken off the chopping block, but members of the Federation of Charter […]

Allina nurses’ strike lines swelling with solidarity

  Allina nurses are walking the picket lines outside five Twin Cities health care facilities this week, but they aren’t walking alone. Patients, doctors and other health care workers have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with members of the Minnesota Nurses Association over the last four days. So have members of other unions – teachers, musicians, construction workers […]

Campaign schools to kick off labor’s 2016 election push

The most recent state legislative session was a mess, with lawmakers failing to act to repair Minnesota’s crumbling transportation infrastructure or make jobs-creating investments in transit and public works. Electing legislators who will put the state’s working families first is a top priority for labor this year, and the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation will […]

Photos: Picket lines go up as 5,000 Allina nurses begin strike

Nearly 5,000 nurses employed by Allina Health began a seven-day strike this morning, setting up picket lines outside five metro-area facilities. In downtown St. Paul, well over 200 nurses and their supporters blanketed the sidewalk outside United Hospital in red, the Minnesota Nurses Association’s official color. Picketers put up cheers as nurses finishing the night […]

Task force recommends extending sick pay to 70,000 workers in St. Paul

  St. Paul’s task force on earned sick and safe time has issued its recommendations, and they include requiring employers to provide workers with one hour of sick time for every 30 hours they work, with sick-time earnings capped at 48 hours per year. If adopted by the city’s elected officials, the policy would extend […]

East Metro grocery workers reject ‘final offer,’ urge continued negotiations

In a nearly unanimous vote yesterday, East Metro grocery workers rejected a hastily crafted “final offer” from their employers. About 3,700 members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1189 began contract negotiations in late February with several St. Paul-area retail grocers, including Cub Foods, Rainbow, Jerry’s Foods, Lunds & Byerlys, Kowalski’s Markets, Festival Foods, […]

5,000 Twin Cities nurses are poised to strike. Here’s how to show your support

In bargaining initiated by a federal mediator last Friday, Allina refused to budge from its demand that nurses give up their quality health insurance, setting the stage for 5,000 nurses at five Twin Cities health facilities to begin a weeklong strike Sunday morning. Members of the Minnesota Nurses Association plan to erect picket lines outside […]

Retail janitors win agreement with Best Buy on eve of shareholder summit

  A protest planned by retail janitors today outside Best Buy’s corporate headquarters turned into a celebration after executives agreed to partner with workers on efforts to ensure people who clean the company’s stores have safe and fair working conditions. The agreement, reached late last night on the eve of Best Buy’s annual shareholder meeting, […]