In Minnesota, we know what’s at stake. We’ve seen the attacks on working people in states around us.
Builders past, present honored for work on Minnesota’s Capitol
August 22, 2017 by
Renee Gisch brought her grandchildren to the Capitol so they could see the restoration work she and hundreds of other tradespeople did over the last four years. Nearby, Daniel Reibestein and his mother, Donna, paid tribute to the work his great grandfather put into the landmark building’s original construction more than a century ago. Construction […]
Over Laborers’ concerns, Mendota Heights district awards work to ‘problem contractors’
August 4, 2015 by
School board members in Mendota Heights yesterday awarded construction contracts to two firms despite concerns about unsafe working conditions and poor oversight on other projects handled by the contractors. Independent School District 197 accepted bids to oversee renovation work on two elementary schools from Derau Construction and Ebert Construction – both “problem contractors,” Mendota Heights […]
Tim Mackey: Laborers fought physical machine testing – and won
July 2, 2015 by
On June 30, Laborers Local 563 won its federal court case to enforce an arbitration award that stopped an employer from using a physical machine test to screen members. The union believes that this type of test has nothing to do with the ability to do the work and may unfairly exclude people who have […]
Love wins! Union members join celebration at Twin Cities Pride Parade
June 29, 2015 by
Union members joined the party at the Ashley Rukes GLBT Pride Parade in Minneapolis yesterday, cheering the Supreme Court’s historic decision making marriage equality the law of the land. “We’re always fighting; it feels good to be celebrating for a change,” Charli Haataja, a member of Local 7250 of the Communications Workers of America, […]
Minnesota unions make case for Sandpiper oil pipeline
January 6, 2015 by
A series of five public hearings on a proposed oil pipeline through Minnesota opened in St. Paul yesterday, and members of several Building Trades unions stepped forward to support the $2.5 billion venture, projected to create 1,500 construction jobs. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is collecting public testimony at sites across the state this week […]
Laborers press Minnetonka school board to investigate child-labor charges
July 24, 2014 by
Laborers Local 563 today called on the Minnetonka School Board to commission an independent investigation into possible violations of state and federal child-labor laws stemming from construction work at district’s Scenic Heights Elementary School. Earlier this month, the Laborers notified state and federal regulators, as well as the school district, that a minor was apparently […]
Unions raise safety concerns at Ridgedale mall construction site
July 9, 2014 by
MINNETONKA – Laborers, bricklayers, painters, electricians and other union craftspeople picketed together outside Ridgedale Center in Minnetonka this morning, targeting several contractors working inside the mall that are undermining area wage and safety standards, according to the unions. Ridgedale’s Chicago-based ownership group, General Growth Properties (GGP), is spending $100 million to upgrade the mall, which […]
Laborers’ charity motorcycle ride lauded by Ronald McDonald House
October 31, 2013 by
Ronald McDonald House of the Twin Cities honored the Minnesota Laborers Ride for Charity with its prestigious 2013 Don Shelby Service Award at a banquet Oct. 5 in Minneapolis. In 2013 the Laborers Ride raised $12,000 for Ronald McDonald House charities. The ride has delivered over $75,000 to the charity over its 10-year run since […]
Rebuffed by Medtronic, striking Cretex workers take message to marathon course
October 3, 2013 by
One of Cretex’s key business partners won’t meet with workers on strike at the company’s Shakopee plant. So on Sunday those workers will take their message to Medtronic’s highest-profile event of the year: the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon. Thousands of marathon runners and spectators will find a billboard placed prominently along the route at Hennepin […]
