The voice of Saint Paul's working families since 1897
The East Side Freedom Library will host a conversation on labor history July 18 with two of the nation’s leading activist scholars in the field. The event is free and open to all. University of California at Santa Barbara professors Eileen Boris and Nelson Lichtenstein will lead the informal conversation. Boris and Lichtenstein “have produced […]
After reaching a tentative agreement with the state July 1, members of two public-employee unions are set to vote this month on a two-year contract that includes annual raises of 2.5 percent. Bargaining teams from both Council 5 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees […]
Wish Medicare a happy 50th birthday at a free barbecue and celebration hosted by the Minnesota Nurses Association from 5 to 9 p.m. July 30 at the Highland Park Shelter, 1200 Montreal Ave., St. Paul. Nurses are marking Medicare’s birthday with calls for lawmakers to protect, improve and expand the popular program, which provides high-quality […]
The Twin Cities Labor Chorus will host its annual summer concert and sing-along, “Labor Sing,” at the State Fairgrounds July 28. Local folk musician Emmett Doyle and other special guests will join the performance. The 7 p.m. concert will take place inside the Minnesota AFL-CIO Labor Pavilion, located at the corner of Dan Patch Ave. […]
On June 30, Laborers Local 563 won its federal court case to enforce an arbitration award that stopped an employer from using a physical machine test to screen members. The union believes that this type of test has nothing to do with the ability to do the work and may unfairly exclude people who have […]
The union contract that goes into effect today between the State of Minnesota and home care workers statewide is a big deal to Tallaya Byers. But it’s about more than paid time off, wage increases and other benefits that kick in today, the 38-year-old from St. Paul said. “I’m being recognized as an employee,” said […]
The Supreme Court today announced it would hear arguments in a case challenging unions’ ability to collect fees from public-sector workers who choose not to join a union but, as members of the bargaining unit, enjoy equal access to benefits provided by the union contract. Eliminating so-called “fair share fees,” ruled constitutional by the Supreme […]
Union members joined the party at the Ashley Rukes GLBT Pride Parade in Minneapolis yesterday, cheering the Supreme Court’s historic decision making marriage equality the law of the land. “We’re always fighting; it feels good to be celebrating for a change,” Charli Haataja, a member of Local 7250 of the Communications Workers of America, […]
Fridley native Sara Steffens was elected secretary/treasurer of the Communications Workers of America, one of the largest labor unions in the country. Steffens, 43, was sworn in at the union’s 75th convention in Detroit on June 8. Steffens was previously acting secretary/treasurer of the NewsGuild-CWA, a sector representing journalists, language interpreters and others. A journalist […]
Apprenticeship has long been the backbone of the Building Trades unions. Their on-the-job training programs put workers on a path to family-sustaining careers while ensuring union contractors have access to the highly skilled labor pool they need to remain competitive. It’s a win-win model. Now, with a push from the federal government, unions and employers […]
Union Advocate 