The Boston Red Sox were 62-28 on July 19, 1978. They were on pace to win a whopping 111 games. Their bitter rivals, the New York Yankees, lagged 14 games behind in the American League East standings, a deficit that seemed too big for any team to overcome. The Red Sox were considered heavy favorites […]
Bobby Kasper: Labor Day reminds us what’s at stake in November
August 29, 2014 by
We are at another crossroad. The Minnesota labor movement holds its destiny in its own hands. In 2012 we ran one of the most successful political programs in the country. We took back the Minnesota House and Senate. We took back seats that our own polling said it was highly unlikely we would win. As […]
Sandy Pappas: Honoring the legacy of American workers
August 28, 2014 by
Labor Day marks more than just the end of summer. It’s a celebration of American workers and the contributions they make to the strength, prosperity and economic well-being of our country. This Labor Day, the continued need for sustainable, living wage jobs is first and foremost on my mind. As a state legislator, the decisions […]
Peter Rachleff: Turbulent history sheds light on Labor Day’s relevance
August 25, 2014 by
Monday, Sept. 1, will mark the 120th celebration of Labor Day as a legal, national holiday. The holiday had a turbulent, complicated beginning. Understanding more about this can help us rethink the significance of this holiday today. American labor in 1894 was a volatile force. The industrial revolution had radically transformed work, replacing skilled labor […]
St. Paul home care worker Maggie Doran: Why I’m voting ‘yes’
July 24, 2014 by
On July 8, home care workers from across the state came together to file a union petition that triggered what will be the largest union election in the history of our state. Ballots will go out to more than 26,000 home care workers on August 1, and we will have our election results before Labor […]
Jennifer Munt: Let’s move Minnesota in 2015
July 10, 2014 by
Minnesota has an urgent transportation problem that’s making it difficult for Minnesotans to get to their next destination, whether that’s work, school, play or family. Transportation is about opportunity for all no matter who you are or where you live. Workers need safer roads and better public transit to get to work. Our seniors need […]
Judy Wahlberg: The sexist agenda hidden in Harris v. Quinn
June 5, 2014 by
Any day now, the U.S. Supreme Court will rule on Harris v. Quinn, the most important labor law case in decades. The lawsuit is another attempt to kill off public employee unions. It centers on a small group of Illinois home care workers who sued to avoid paying fees to the very union that would […]
Bobby Kasper: Super Bowl will showcase union workers
May 29, 2014 by
It doesn’t take most people very long to realize I’m not a native Minnesotan. My New York accent is usually a dead giveaway. But after living here for 20-plus years, Minnesota is the place I’m proud to call home. That’s why I was thrilled to learn the Twin Cities will play host to Super Bowl […]
Barb Kucera: Twenty years ago, Juarez trip gave early glimpse of post-NAFTA world
May 1, 2014 by
It’s hard to believe it’s been two decades since NAFTA went into effect – 20 years since I walked among abandoned factories in El Paso, Texas, and cement and tarpaper shacks in Anapra, a shantytown on the edge of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. In November 1993, as editor of The Union Advocate, I took part in […]
Ken Peterson: Job safety and Workers Memorial Day
April 29, 2014 by
Work should be less dangerous. Fewer people should die or be injured at work. That’s why Canadian labor unions started the first Workers Memorial Day in 1985. They picked April 28 because it was the date Canada’s first workers’ compensation law was passed in 1914. Recognizing the significance of what the Canadians had begun, U.S. […]
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