Allina stonewalls Hastings nurses as contract talks continue

Negotiations on a new contract are dragging into the new year, but nurses at Regina Medical Center in Hastings, members of the Minnesota Nurses Association, continue to resist Allina Health’s effort to treat them differently than nurses in every other Allina hospital in the Twin Cities Metro Area. The two sides returned to the bargaining […]

UPDATED: Teamsters authorize strike at St. Paul Park refinery

Workers at Northern Tier refinery in St. Paul Park voted Dec. 16 to authorize their leadership to call a strike if the company continues to demand cuts that, workers say, “could dramatically undermine the safety of operations” at the facility. Northern Tier is in contract negotiations with about 200 members of Teamsters Local 120 who […]

St. Paul teachers’ staffing, class-size concerns now on the table in contract talks

For the first time in the current round of contract talks with the St. Paul Federation of Teachers, negotiators for the St. Paul Public Schools last month agreed to put two key issues for teachers – class sizes and specialist staffing – on the table. Although the district’s proposal did not draw a favorable response […]

At MSP Airport, workers use heavy travel day to rally for better wages

On one of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport’s busiest days of the year, the low-wage workers who make holiday travel happen put the public on notice they will no longer settle for poverty-level wages. Airport workers and their supporters – about 100 people total – rallied outside the arrivals area of Terminal 1, showing support for […]

Bouyed by prayers, workers return to Brooklyn Center Walmart after one-day strike

One day after exercising her legally protected right to strike, April Williams walked back into the Brooklyn Center Walmart for her scheduled shift this morning. But Williams did not take that walk alone. In the parking lot outside the store, about 25 people, including eight clergy members, huddled around Williams, praying for a safe return […]

Walmart workers go on strike in Brooklyn Center, kick off week of action for better wages

The nationwide wave of Walmart strikes hit Minnesota this morning, when three women who work at the Brooklyn Center store informed management they were going on an unfair-labor-practices strike. U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison and Rev. Doug Mork of nearby Cross of Glory Lutheran Church accompanied the workers into the store, and dozens of supporters from […]

Labor Board: Walmart violated workers’ rights

The National Labor Relations Board announced Nov. 18 its intent to prosecute the nation’s largest retailer, Walmart, for violating labor law in dealings with employees in 14 states, including Minnesota. The charges come after an investigation of employees’ charges that Walmart threatened, disciplined or even fired them for participating in legally protected protests and organizing […]

HCMC staff win agreement to cover video interpreting

Hennepin County Medical Center saw no need to consult its staff of professional interpreters before implementing new video interpreting (VRI) technology into its hospitals and clinics. That was before interpreters mounted a unique mobilization campaign and their union, the Minnesota Newspaper and Communications Guild, filed charges of unfair labor practices against the hospital system in […]

As talks move out of public eye, teachers keep up community outreach

To prepare for negotiations on a new contract, the St. Paul Federation of Teachers reached out to parents and the general public, using the feedback they received to craft an innovative, community-driven set of guiding principles for their contract talks. So you can imagine teachers’ frustration when the St. Paul Public Schools asked the state […]

Machinists OK contracts with United Airlines

Members of the International Association of Machinists voted yesterday to approve new, nationwide collective bargaining agreements with United Airlines covering employees in the airline’s fleet service, passenger-service and storekeeper workgroups. The agreements cover more than 28,000 workers at United, Continental and subsidiary airlines, including 158 members of Machinists Local 1833 who work at the Minneapolis–St. […]