‘Bill of Rights’ would fund $25 minimum wage, health benefits for hourly school staff

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 […]

School board ducks meeting after striking workers plan to show

Striking food service workers in Hastings have a lot of questions for members of the local school board, who were scheduled to have a public meeting this afternoon. Why won’t the district come back to the bargaining table? Why does the superintendent deserve a 6% raise when 2% is the best he can offer food […]

Hastings food service workers strike for higher wages

“We feed their kids,” school cook Julie Clark said. “They should do more to help us feed ours.”

Food service workers in Hastings schools set Feb. 7 strike date

Food service workers today put the Hastings public school district on notice of their intent to strike Feb. 7 unless the two sides reach agreement on a new union contract before then. “We’re united, and we’re ready to strike if the district won’t pay us what we’re worth and stop nickel-and-diming us about our working […]

Hastings nurses OK contract with Allina

After waging a public campaign to gain parity with nurses at other Allina Health facilities in the Twin Cities, members of the Minnesota Nurses Association at Regina Medical Center in Hastings voted May 1 to accept a contract that comes up short in the areas of pension and health insurance – with a vow to […]

Hastings nurses authorize strike as Allina sticks with second-rate offer

Union nurses are keeping the pressure on Allina Health to do right by their colleagues at Regina Medical Center in Hastings, where nurses voted yesterday to authorize their leadership to call a strike if contract talks break down. Meanwhile, about 100 nurses and supporters from the labor community staged informational picketing outside Allina-owned United Hospital […]

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 […]

Hastings nurses plan vigil as talks with Allina stall

Nurses at Regina Medical Center in Hastings will hold a candlelight vigil tonight, keeping hope alive for a new contract with the hospital that retains the level of nursing care the Hastings community expects. The vigil will take place at 4:30 p.m. in the parking lot at the intersection of Highways 55 and 61. Nurses also […]

October 2012: Remember when farmers and union members worked together?

With families across the Midwest struggling to keep their farms out of bank foreclosure, union members rallied with farmers Oct. 10, 1987, at the Heartland Jobs with Justice rally on the Iowa State Fairgrounds. About 40 Minnesotans were among the estimated 1,500 to 1,700 union members at the rally, Union Advocate Editor Barb Kucera reported […]