“We’re hoping to take care of projects that most volunteer groups can’t handle,” District 77’s Ross Olson said.
Retiree Council president: ‘You can’t just ride off into the sunset’
October 4, 2018 by
A former diesel mechanic and longtime Machinist, McInnis became president of the Retiree Council last month.
At organizing boot camp, workers look to build power from the inside out
July 16, 2018 by
It takes a strong union to bargain a strong contract. Or, as CWA Local 7304 member Jim Wiebe put it: “A hammer doesn’t swing by itself.” A union steward and welder at the New Flyer bus facility in St. Cloud, Wiebe was one of 55 activists from across the Midwest who traveled to St. Paul […]
Delta touts ‘direct relationship,’ but workers eye strength in numbers
April 17, 2018 by
“If this is a family,” one Delta ramp worker said, “it’s the most dysfunctional family I’ve ever been a part of.”
Drawing closer to union elections, Delta workers plan April 4 rally
March 19, 2018 by
“Delta uses all their friends and allies to defeat unions,” former baggage handler and longtime union activist Kip Hedges said. “We must do the same to win union representation.”
‘We are being distracted by a showman who throws these tweets out’
April 20, 2017 by
Robert Roach Jr.’s career as a labor leader began shortly after he went to work for Trans World Airlines in 1975, when he joined a fight to improve the conditions of new employees at the now-defunct airline. He hasn’t stopped fighting since. After rising through the ranks of the International Association of Machinists, Roach retired […]
#NAW2016: State grant helps East Metro auto dealerships reinvigorate apprenticeship program
November 18, 2016 by
Car dealerships in the East Metro long have offered registered apprenticeship training opportunities to their mechanics, but the number of journey-level workers graduating from the program has declined in recent years. Looking to shift that trend into reverse, East Metro dealerships, state regulators and representatives of the Machinists union met with technical college faculty and […]
Machinists approve new contract with East Metro dealerships
May 2, 2016 by
Union workers at 22 auto dealerships in St. Paul and the East Metro suburbs voted Sunday to ratify a new three-year agreement with their employers that includes annual wage increases of 2 percent. The contract, which took effect today, covers about 600 members of Machinists District 77, including mechanics, parts personnel and service technicians. [Click […]
Remembering Wayne Wittman, the conscience of St. Paul’s labor community
February 28, 2016 by
Wayne Wittman, who served as chair of the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation’s Community Services Committee for three decades, died unexpectedly Wednesday. He was 86. A passionate activist for peace and social justice, Wittman attended the labor federation’s first meeting at the new St. Paul Labor Center earlier this month. Today at the same labor […]
Public finally gets a look at TPP – and it isn’t pretty
November 5, 2015 by
Labor, environmental and other fair-trade activists are getting their first look at the Tran-Pacific Partnership, released to the public overnight. Their initial reaction? It’s worse than expected. “It’s absolutely not a progressive trade deal,” Minnesota Fair Trade Coalition director Kaela Berg said after an early analysis of the text. “It’s clear that TPP will perpetuate […]
