It took a change in Senate leadership to get the bill to Walz’s desk, but Minnesota’s oil refineries will soon be subject to stricter safety training standards.
Construction wage theft back on MN lawmakers’ agenda
March 17, 2023 by
Construction firms in Minnesota would bear greater legal responsibility for the labor practices of their subcontractors under legislation introduced by DFL lawmakers last month. Building Trades unions and worker advocacy groups say the measure is necessary in the wake of reported abuses on non-union construction sites, most notably the Viking Lakes development in Eagan, where […]
‘Bill of Rights’ would fund $25 minimum wage, health benefits for hourly school staff
March 9, 2023 by
As striking food service workers in Hastings put a spotlight on hardships faced by some of the lowest-paid school employees, state lawmakers this week debated bold, new legislation to lift standards for all hourly school workers. The “Education Support Professionals’ Bill of Rights,” introduced by DFLers in both the House and Senate, would establish a […]
Union Advocate recognized in international Labor Media contest
March 1, 2023 by
The International Labor Communications Association (ILCA) announced winners of its annual Labor Media Awards last month, recognizing outstanding work published in 2021. The Saint Paul Union Advocate received a first-place award for photography and a third-place award for analysis. ILCA’s awards contest is the largest competition exclusively for labor journalists, drawing thousands of entries that […]
In Senate, new DFL majority puts refinery safety atop to-do list
February 1, 2023 by
Refinery safety is back on the agenda at the Minnesota Capitol. Union tradespeople helped pack the Senate Labor Committee’s hearing Jan. 12, when members heard public testimony on a bill that would require registered apprenticeship training for workers performing certain jobs in the state’s two petroleum refineries. “In my career it was easy to spot […]
Two from Plumbers Local 34 honored with nationwide ‘Heroes’ award
December 15, 2022 by
The St. Paul plumbers union has a pair of heroes in its apprenticeship pipeline. Twice in 2022, apprentices with Plumbers Local 34 have been named Tradeswomen Heroes by North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU). Each month the awards program recognizes four union trades-women, selected from across the country, for their work on and off the […]
State Capitol dedicates a ‘place and space’ for Nellie Stone Johnson – and all she represents
November 22, 2022 by
A new statue unveiled in the Capitol yesterday celebrates the legacy of Nellie Stone Johnson, a towering figure in Minnesota’s labor, political and civil rights history. After a ceremony that included music, a video remembrance and speeches from the honoree’s colleagues and admirers, Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan joined the youngest members […]
HealthPartners member? Former Trades leader seeks your vote in board election
October 25, 2022 by
Longtime union leader Harry Melander is hoping to give working people a voice on the HealthPartners board of directors. Melander, who retired as president of the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council last year, is one of four candidates running for three open seats on the 16-member board, which oversees the largest consumer-governed health care organization […]
Minnesota union members led the fight to secure bonus pay for 1 million frontline workers
October 4, 2022 by
Over 1 million Minnesotans will begin receiving payments of $487.45 from the State of Minnesota this week as a token of public appreciation for their work on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Union pipefitters help homeowners in need prep for cold weather
October 4, 2022 by
It was another successful year for Project Heat’s On, the community service initiative sponsored by local pipe trades unions and their signatory contractors.
Union Advocate 