Delta absorbed Northwest – and their union. But MSP flight attendants didn’t stop fighting

For many of the 1,800 Delta flight attendants based at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, the upcoming vote to form a union is about more than wages, benefits and work rules. It’s about getting back what they lost after Delta’s merger with MSP-based Northwest Airlines four years ago. “I’ve lived with a contract and without a […]

Unions’ organizing gains outpaced by overall job growth in 2014

The percentage of workers who are members of labor unions dropped slightly in 2014 both nationally and in Minnesota, while the earnings advantage enjoyed by union members remained significant, according to an annual report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The report, released today, found the number of union members nationwide last year was about […]

Five running for St. Paul City Council gain labor endorsement

Five candidates for St. Paul City Council, including one in the contested Ward 2 race, will take labor endorsements from the East Metro’s largest union federation into precinct caucuses Feb. 3. Delegates to the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, voted Jan. 14 to endorse Darren Tobolt in Ward 2, where Council Member Dave Thune […]

Airserv workers take on company’s ‘standby’ scheduling

Suado Gabo, a wheelchair agent at Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport, arrives at work not knowing if she’ll be sent home midway through her scheduled shift. And on her way out the door, Gabo checks to see if her employer, Airserv, has picked up her “standby” days later in the week. Airserv’s new scheduling practices […]

SEIU home care workers reach tentative agreement with state

Five months after their historic vote to form a union, home health care workers represented by SEIU Healthcare Minnesota today announced they have reached a tentative agreement on a first contract with the State of Minnesota. The agreement includes several gains for the new bargaining unit of 27,000 workers in publicly funded home care programs […]

Minnesota state, local taxes fairer than most, report finds

Minnesota’s tax structure is among the fairest in the country, according to the results of an annual analysis of state and local tax systems released today by the nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. The report, “Who Pays,” looks at how states generate tax revenue – and how much it costs taxpayers at different […]

Delta flight attendants file for historic union election

Delta Air Lines flight attendants moved one step closer to forming a union today, delivering more than 12,000 signed union authorization cards to the National Mediation Board in Washington D.C. With support from about 60 percent of the carrier’s 20,000 flight attendants – well over the legal threshold of 50 percent – the filing is […]

Move MN pitches 10-year plan to fund needed transportation improvements

Unions joined businesses, non-profits and local governments today in unveiling a 10-year plan to finance improvements to the state’s highways, bridges and transit systems. Gov. Mark Dayton and legislative leaders have said transportation will be a top priority during the 2015 session. Move MN, a broad-based, transportation-focused coalition of more than 200 groups, jumped right […]

‘Freedom Writers’ screening at East Side Freedom Library

“Freedom Writers,” a feature-length dramatic film based on the real-life story of Los Angeles students labeled “low achievers” during the mid-1990s, is next up in the East Side Freedom Library’s film and discussion series. Inspired by a creative teacher, the students learned to support each other as a community and commit themselves to changing both […]

Minnesota AFL-CIO sponsors candidate training

As part of its Path to Power program, the Minnesota AFL-CIO will sponsor a two-day training to equip potential candidates for public office with the tools they need to win and be an effective advocate for workers once elected. Workshops will focus on developing a message, building a campaign team, raising money and targeting voters, […]