The voice of Saint Paul's working families since 1897
Noel Nix is a familiar face to residents of St. Paul’s Ward 1, and he is the labor-endorsed candidate in a special election to fill the ward’s seat on the St. Paul City Council this year. Nix worked as an aide to former Council Member Melvin Carter, who stepped down earlier this year, setting the […]
St. Paul school board member Jean O’Connell worked at 3M for 34 years. As an engineer, she learned quickly that it wasn’t enough for an idea merely to work on paper; it also had to work on the factory floor. It’s an approach O’Connell hopes to expand upon in a second term on the St. […]
At least three union members are running campaigns for local office in the East Metro this fall, a positive sign in an odd-year election cycle for those who believe union members naturally make the best advocates for working families’ issues. Don Mullin, a second-generation trade show decorator and member of the Painters and Allied Trades, […]
That extra value meal might seem like a bargain, but a new report shows low prices on the fast-food menu come at a high cost to U.S. taxpayers. How much? Nearly $7 billion a year. That’s the cost of public assistance for fast-food workers and their families, according to “Fast Food, Poverty Wages,” a report […]
Leaders in the U.S. Senate today unveiled a bipartisan agreement to end the partial government shutdown and extend the nation’s borrowing authority, but doubts remain as to whether the compromise will pass the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. As the spotlight shifted to the House, federal employees, union leaders and retirees paid a visit to Minnesota […]
Gloria Jones and May Sy Lawrence won’t get paid for doing their jobs until Tea Party Republicans in Congress get serious about doing theirs. Jones and Lawrence are essential federal employees – officially classified as “accepted employees.” As they have throughout the 15-day shutdown, they showed up for work today at the Social Security Administration […]
Is Stanley Walton’s work essential? That depends on whom you ask. Walton was one of 7,000 “non-essential” employees furloughed by the U.S. Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) today. He and about 150 others reported to the Whipple Federal Building at Fort Snelling, where they were handed letters instructing them to stay home until lawmakers in Washington […]
Supporters of comprehensive immigration reform clogged the streets of downtown Minneapolis today, joining a “National Day of Action for Dignity and Respect” and amplifying the call for Congress to fix the nation’s broken immigration system. More than 1,000 people – a crowd heavy on families and children – marched from the Basilica of St. Mary […]
Addressing a roomful of union retirees in Maplewood today, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton recounted his morning meeting with members of Laborers Local 563 who are on strike, fighting to ensure a secure retirement of their own. Dayton’s remarks to the Minnesota State Retiree Council’s 17th convention came on the heels of a dialogue with workers […]
Angela Macario doesn’t work for a fast-food restaurant, but she knows what it’s like trying to support a family on low wages. That’s why she joined a demonstration in Roseville today in support of striking fast-food workers in 50 cities nationwide. Macario works for the cleaning contractor KBS Until recently, Macario worked for Star City Commercial, […]
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