The Painters union said the landmark case reflects the tip of the iceberg when it comes to worker abuses in the construction industry.
IUPAT’s community outreach led to first criminal wage-theft conviction in Minnesota
April 25, 2025 by
Workers encouraged to make sure they see full benefit of Minnesota’s new sick time law
January 30, 2024 by
Minnesota’s new earned sick and safe time mandate took effect Jan. 1, and state lawmakers and regulators are encouraging workers to check with their employers to make sure they are earning the full benefit provided by the new law. That means banking a minimum of one hour of earned sick and safe time for every […]
Retail janitors brace for busy holiday weekend with no holiday pay
November 22, 2023 by
The benefit will be a top priority for SEIU members in talks with cleaning contractors this winter.
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 […]
Alleged rape on Wilfs’ Viking Lakes development sparks outrage, calls for change
October 14, 2022 by
A worker on the Viking Lakes project in Eagan came forward last week with allegations that she was raped and harassed while working for a drywall subcontractor on the troubled job site, developed by NFL owners Zygmunt, Mark and Leonard Wilf’s MV Ventures firm. Unions and worker advocacy groups decried the alleged assault and, in […]
Trades push Royal Credit Union to ditch contractor accused of underpaying immigrant workers
June 1, 2022 by
Efforts to stop worker exploitation in the Twin Cities construction industry continued to gain momentum today, as construction unions called out Royal Credit Union for using an out-of-state masonry contractor accused by watchdog groups of underpaying immigrant laborers. As the credit union cut the ribbon inside a newly acquired and refurbished branch in Inver Grove […]
Workers seek commitment from developers to build with ‘dignity and respect’
May 13, 2022 by
As allegations of wage theft continue to bubble up from the Twin Cities’ nonunion construction industry, a worker-led initiative aims to partner with developers to keep labor abuses off their job sites. After months of behind-the-scenes planning and organizing, construction workers this week publicly invited local developers to join the Building Dignity and Respect (BDR) […]
Wilfs’ company turned deaf ear to warnings of wage theft at Viking Lakes development
May 10, 2022 by
Tradespeople who worked on the Viking Lakes luxury apartments in Eagan went public last week with accusations of wage theft on the project, owned and developed by the same family that owns the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings. Worker advocacy groups, including the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters (NCSRCC), pinned responsibility for the alleged labor […]
County attorneys take aim at criminal wage theft
April 27, 2022 by
“It’s not a clerical mistake; people are actually stealing,” Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said. “And I think this is one of those areas that needs improvement to make sure these cases get the attention of the justice system.”
Resources for workers impacted by COVID-19 response
March 30, 2020 by
Efforts to halt the spread of COVID-19 are creating immediate economic hardship for many working families, but help is available during the crisis.
Union Advocate 