Workers to legislators: Finish the job on transportation, bonding

May 26, 2016 by
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Lori O’Malley, president of a small construction business in Le Center, speaks to the importance of stable transportation funding, especially in rural economies.

 

Construction workers and contractors formed a united front at the Capitol today in support of a special session allowing state legislators to compromise on two shared priorities – transportation and infrastructure – left unaddressed when session adjourned Sunday night.

Lawmakers “still have time to finish,” Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council President Harry Melander said at a press conference this morning, flanked by dozens of tradespeople in hard hats.

“We’re requesting that, with the leadership of the governor, legislators find a long-term solution to the state’s transportation crisis and pass a strong bonding bill that will provide not only needed infrastructure repairs in the Metro Area, but in greater Minnesota,” Melander said.

Such a compromise already is “on the table,” according to Dave Semerad, head of the Associated General Contractors of Minnesota. It likely would involve some general fund money from a sales tax on auto parts, dedicated license tab fees, a local option to pay for transit projects and Met Council reform.

Harry Melander, a former industrial tech teacher, said there's still time for lawmakers to earn "a passing grade, not an (incomplete) on our state’s report card.”

Harry Melander (R), a former industrial tech teacher, said there’s still time for lawmakers to put “a passing grade, not an (incomplete) on our state’s report card.”

“All that’s lacking is political courage,” Semerad said. “Now’s the time for leadership, not partisan bickering and political games.”

Much is at stake in finding a compromise. The AGC’s 350 employers statewide rely on public investments to create jobs for 50,000 union tradespeople.

Lori O’Malley, president of a small construction business in Le Center, warned that without stable and continuous funding for transportation and infrastructure, “the industry will react, and those reactions will take a long time to recover from.”

With each year lawmakers wait to pass a long-term transportation plan, more of the state’s roads and bridges fall into disrepair. Already, more than half of Minnesota’s roads are more than 50 years old, and 40 percent of the state’s bridges are more than 40 years old.

“Our mission is to build a better Minnesota, but without long-term and sustained funding, it cannot be accomplished,” Semerad said.

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Advocates stage last-ditch rally for paid family leave

May 17, 2016 by
Sen. Katie Sieben of Newport, a lead propoent of paid family leave, leads a rally outside the Capitol.

Sen. Katie Sieben of Newport, a lead propoent of paid family leave, leads a rally outside the Capitol.

With fiery speeches and foam “No. 1” fingers, advocates of paid family leave rallied outside the Minnesota Capitol today, calling on House Republicans to take up the issue, which Gov. Mark Dayton called “a moral responsibility.”

Earlier this month, the DFL-controlled Senate approved a measure designed to prevent workers from being forced to choose between paying their bills and providing care for a newborn child or ailing family member.

But the bill hasn’t garnered a single committee hearing in the House, and an aide to Speaker Kurt Daudt told clergy members, who sent a delegation to the Crown Republican’s offices after the rally, that it was not among the speaker’s priorities in negotiations to close the session.

Bill McCarthy, president of the Minnesota AFL-CIO, urged Daudt to reconsider.

“Now’s the time for the House majority to stand with working families and support this legislation,” McCarthy said. “Now is the time to act.”

The Senate bill, supported by a coalition of labor, faith and community groups, would provide Minnesotans who miss work after the birth of a child or during a family member’s extended illness with partial replacement wages for up to 12 weeks. It’s funded by a small tax on workers and employers.

web.PaidFamLeave-fingerSenate Majority Leader Tom Bakk, a DFLer from Cook, promised that if House Republicans fail to act on paid family leave this year, “the DFL Senate will be back next year” to pass the bill again.

But that was little consolation to Morgan Searcy of Northfield. Searcy, whose 41-year-old mother is gradually losing vision, will soon face a choice between going to work and helping her mother transition to life without sight.

The Senate bill’s 12 weeks of paid leave “would be enough for me to help my mom, to figure things out,” Searcy said. “It would be heaven-sent if this bill passed this year.”

It’s estimated only 13 percent of Minnesota workers have access to paid-family-leave benefits.

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For St. Paul plumbers, giving back is an annual tradition

March 23, 2016 by
Fourth-year Local 34 apprentice Matt Theis searches for the source of a water leak in a basement on St. Paul’s East Side, while Colby Willson (L) and Jason Miller look on.

Fourth-year Local 34 apprentice Matt Theis searches for the source of a water leak in a basement on St. Paul’s East Side, while Colby Willson (L) and Jason Miller look on.

Members of St. Paul Plumbers Local 34 and union plumbers from across Minnesota volunteered to fix plumbing problems for elderly, disabled and low-income homeowners during the annual “Water’s Off” service event March 19.

For the 22nd consecutive year, union plumbers provided free labor, and their employers, members of the Minnesota Mechanical Contractors Association, donated replacement parts and supplies as necessary.

Sixty-five journey-level workers and apprentices from Local 34 participated in the event, providing repairs to 40 East Metro homeowners, identified with assistance from the nonprofit Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington Counties.

At a breakfast banquet preceding the volunteer event, plumbers accepted a proclamation from Gov. Mark Dayton – one of several elected officials, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Mayor Chris Coleman, in attendance – declaring Water’s Off Day statewide.

Gov. Mark Dayton presented plumbers with a proclamation declaring Water’s Off Day statewide.
Colby Willson replaces a trap in the main-floor bathroom of a home on St. Paul’s East Side.
Union plumbers from Minneapolis and St. Paul gather for a banquet breakfast before volunteering.
Local 34 journeyman Jason Miller (L) shares a tip with fourth-year apprentice Colby Willson.
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Unions praise Dayton’s approach to building a ‘state that works for everyone’

March 10, 2016 by

MNSTOSIn his State of the State Address last night, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton called on legislators to join him in addressing the state’s racial and geographic disparities, and in making needed investments in public education, transportation and infrastructure.

Afterward, union leaders from across the state praised Dayton’s speech.

Education Minnesota President Denise Specht called Dayton the “Education Governor.” Minnesota AFL-CIO President Bill McCarthy said he “demonstrated his commitment to ensuring that Minnesota is a state that works for everyone, not just the wealthy few.”

“Hardworking Minnesotans have always formed the backbone of our economy,” AFSCME Council 5 Director Eliot Seide added. “We applaud Gov. Dayton’s focus on infrastructure, transportation, and expanding economic opportunity for all Minnesotans. Those smart investments will help build a better Minnesota that works for all of us.”

Supporting workers left behind

Early in the address, Dayton reiterated his support for extending aid to Iron Range workers suffering from a slowdown in the mining industry and to minority communities that have yet to reap the benefits of Minnesota’s economic recovery.

Illegally dumped foreign steel has flooded the U.S. market, leading Iron Range mining companies to lay off an estimated 2,000 workers in the last year. The slowdown has impacted an additional 4,700 workers in mining-related jobs.

A relief package would extend unemployment benefits for about 2,750 workers, but Republicans, who control the House of Representatives, insist on pairing the relief package with tax breaks for businesses.

“To hold $29 million of desperately needed unemployment benefits hostage to $272 million in fund cuts is unnecessary,” Dayton told Republicans. “And it’s cruel.”

Dayton also cited several sobering statistics regarding racial and ethnic disparities in the state. Compared with Minnesota’s white families, he said, U.S.-born African American families’ annual income is 55 percent less, and their poverty rate is more than 4 times greater. Mexican-American, Ojibwe and Somali families also have fallen behind.

“We cannot resolve these disparities in one legislative session, but we must begin now,” Dayton said, pledging a “significant initiative” to increase economic opportunities for Minnesotans of color.

He also called on the state’s businesses to increase its outreach into minority communities and set a goal of doubling the percentage of minorities working in state government by the time he leaves office.

Modest investments, targeted tax cuts

As for how to approach Minnesota’s $900 million budget surplus for the next two years, Dayton said he would support pairing “modest spending increases” with tax cuts targeted for middle-class families, like an increase in the child-care tax credit.

But the governor, who faced a $6 billion budget shortfall when he took office in 2011, emphasized the importance of keeping the state on firm financial footing.

“Some people are proposing permanent tax cuts, which would put our state’s budget, once again, on a fiscal precipice,” he said.

“What we have been doing is working,” Dayton added. “Minnesotans are working. Minnesota is working. How could we stop now, when there is more work left to do?”

Investments in statewide broadband access, clean energy, rural water-treatment facilities, infrastructure, roads and bridges would create jobs and expand economic opportunities statewide, Dayton said. And he renewed his call for greater investment in early education to “prevent achievement gaps before they appear.”

Specht, president of the statewide educators’ union, praised Dayton’s support for learners at all levels.

“Gov. Dayton understands the foundation of our state is a great system of public education that prepares all students for successful lives,” she said. “His commitment to expand access to high-quality preschool and to support public colleges and universities will reduce the opportunity gaps which hold back too many of our students.”

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Unions: Dayton’s ‘jobs bill’ would strengthen state’s infrastructure and economy

January 15, 2016 by

capitolGov. Mark Dayton today proposed investing $1.4 billion in infrastructure improvements across Minnesota, including $82 million earmarked for projects in St. Paul.

The governor called the bonding proposal a “jobs bill” and, drawing on academic research, estimated it would create work for nearly 40,000 Minnesotans. [The calculation does not include an additional $600 million Dayton’s proposal would leverage in private, federal and local funds.]

The measure quickly drew support from two of the state’s top labor leaders.

Harry Melander, president of the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council, said he was “encouraged” by the $1.4 billion proposal.

“Gov. Dayton continues to build on his legacy of maintaining Minnesota’s infrastructure for generations to come,” Melander said. “It’s a legacy of not only maintaining our infrastructure, but also providing good, well-paying jobs for working people throughout our state.”

“Upgrading infrastructure is one of the smartest things state government can do for our economy,” Minnesota AFL-CIO President Bill McCarthy said. “The governor’s plan will put tens of thousands of Minnesotans to work in family sustaining jobs. When more people work, more people spend money, leading to a stronger economy.

“We urge lawmakers to take advantage of Minnesota’s strong fiscal standing to improve infrastructure and put even more people to work.”

The jobs bill would provide upgrades or repairs to bridges, rail crossings, water treatment facilities, higher-education facilities, wetlands and other assets across Minnesota.

Locally, Dayton’s bill includes $42.9 million to rebuild the Kellogg Avenue Bridge, which is considered structurally deficient. The bridge connects downtown St. Paul with the city’s eastern neighborhoods and suburbs.

Also targeted for bonding funds are the seal and sea lions exhibit at Como Zoo ($14.5 million), the Dorothy Day ReVision project ($12 million) and improvements to the Minnesota Science Museum ($13 million).

“From transportation financing to economic development, the governor’s proposal reflects his commitment to ensuring a strong capital city – including critical investments in our transportation infrastructure and parks,” St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman said. “We are very appreciative of the governor’s support.”

The jobs bill also would provide $34.4 million for the renovation of vacant facilities and a new visitor center at Historic Fort Snelling.

Legislators will weigh Dayton’s jobs bill when the 2015-16 session reconvenes March 8. Bonding bills require a three-fifths majority vote – 81 representatives and 41 senators – in order to pass.

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Shar Knutson: Thank you for everything

October 2, 2015 by

mug-knutsonAs autumn begins, my time as Minnesota AFL-CIO President will come to a close. As I head into retirement, I wanted to thank you and everyone in Minnesota’s labor movement for the opportunity to serve as your president. I especially want to thank everyone at the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, both past and present.

Growing up in a union family and working a union job as a single parent showed me how much of an impact the labor movement has in improving peoples’ lives. It has been a humbling experience to lead a movement that was there for me and my family. However, I would not have had the opportunity to lead if not for the support of the working people of the St. Paul federation.

Nearly 20 years ago, I had the opportunity to serve as the St. Paul Trades and Labor political director. Soon thereafter, you placed your trust in me to serve as president. Together we fought back privatization of city services, passed a living wage ordinance, saved union jobs at RockTenn and formed the St. Paul RLF.

I took what I learned to the Minnesota AFL-CIO when I was elected President in 2009. Working together, we fought back attacks and made gains for Minnesota’s working people.

Together, we elected Mark Dayton, our first DFL governor in over 20 years, and fought a well-funded Right to Work initiative – and won! We successfully advocated for state construction projects that are putting thousands of Minnesotans to work and improving our infrastructure.

We bucked the national race to the bottom, and helped lead a large coalition that convinced the Minnesota Legislature raise Minnesota’s minimum wage for the first time in a decade.

We successfully passed legislation extending unemployment benefits for locked-out workers in Minnesota, and helped secure historic improvements in the state’s worker’s compensation system that increased benefits to injured workers.

We increased union member political participation and opened up new avenues for women and young workers to be involved in the Labor movement, and we built an infrastructure to support affiliate unions in their organizing efforts.

We defied the critics who said our initiatives would weaken the state’s economy. Instead, Minnesota’s economy is vibrant, its unions are intact and lower-wage working people are now earning more. This is especially true when contrasted with other states, like Wisconsin, that went down a very different path and are paying the economic price.

While we certainly have much more work ahead of us, I am confident that we can continue to raise wages and improve the lives of working people in Minnesota.

Earlier this summer, the Minnesota AFL-CIO General Board elected Bill McCarthy as our next president. Bill currently serves as President of the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation. He is a leader who has already worked for policies to ensure that all working people earn wages that can sustain a family, receive health and retirement benefits and, most importantly, are treated with dignity and respect. Bill will be a great president and I look forward to seeing Minnesota’s labor movement continue to flourish under his leadership.

Thank you once again for the opportunity to lead and serve.

– Shar Knutson, a resident of St. Paul, will retire from her post as president of the state’s largest labor federation, the Minnesota AFL-CIO, this month. Six years ago, she became the first woman elected to the state AFL-CIO’s highest office. Knutson joined AFSCME Local 1842 after taking a job as a public health worker with the City of St. Paul in the early 1980s. She later worked as an aide to former St. Paul Mayor Jim Scheibel and as political director for the St. Paul Trades & Labor Assembly, a forerunner of today’s St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO.

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Dayton, Ellison celebrate Medicare’s 50th birthday with Minnesota Nurses

July 31, 2015 by
Nurses celebrated Medicare's 50th birthday with PIE, symbolic of the union's call to "protect, invest and expand" the popular health care program.

Nurses celebrated Medicare’s 50th birthday with PIE, symbolic of the union’s call to “protect, invest and expand” the popular health care program.

 

web.MNA-Medicare-nursesMedicare turned 50 years old yesterday, and Minnesota nurses celebrated by throwing President Lyndon B. Johnson’s landmark legislation a barbecue birthday bash in St. Paul.

More than 100 million people are enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid, which provides health care to low-income Americans and also turned 50 yesterday. Together, the programs ensure seniors maintain health coverage after retiring and children receive the health care they need to avoid falling behind.

“Health care is a truly patriotic issue tied to our freedom,” Minnesota Nurses Association Executive Director Rose Roach said. “Are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness really possible when you don’t have your health?”

Doctors, patients and elected officials, including Gov. Mark Dayton and U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, joined nurses in pledging to protect Medicare – and expand the popular health care program into a single-payer health plan covering all Americans.

“I don’t know if we’ll see single payer in my lifetime,” Dayton said. “But if we do, I hope it starts here in Minnesota.”

Rep. Ellison speaks at the nurses' celebration of Medicare's 50th anniversary.

Rep. Ellison speaks at the nurses’ celebration of Medicare’s 50th anniversary.

Ellison, a DFLer from Minneapolis, said he was proud to have supported the Affordable Care Act, passed during President Obama’s first term. “But deep down and in my heart of hearts,” Ellison added, “I have been and will always be a single payer person.”

The ACA increased access to the private health insurance market and allowed states, including Minnesota, to expand Medicaid eligibility for the working poor, extending coverage to an estimated 16.4 million Americans over the last 5 years.

But even in Minnesota, people are slipping through the cracks of the private insurance market. That’s why Ellison said he supports the American Health Security Act, introduce by Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) in March. It would allow states to administer their own universal health insurance systems, subject to federal standards.

Ellison and Dayton agreed that the bill would empower Minnesota to set a course toward single payer, universal health care – one the rest of the nation could follow.

“That’s how Canada ended up with single payer,” Ellison said. “It wasn’t just one big national plan. It was Ottawa, then Saskatchewan, and it spread.”

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As lawmakers haggle, faces behind education budget speak out in St. Paul

June 2, 2015 by

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As Minnesota lawmakers announced a breakthrough in negotiations over the state’s E-12 education budget yesterday, the faces behind the financial figures – students, parents and teachers – rallied against staff and programming cuts in St. Paul.

“We cannot nickle and dime our kids’ future,” school board candidate Zuki Ellis, the parent of a first-grader in the St. Paul Public Schools, said. “There is no excuse for that when we’re talking about a $2 billion state budget surplus.”

St. Paul Federation of Teachers Local 28 organized the rally at St. Paul Central High School after the school district, like many across Minnesota, sent out pink slips to some teachers and paraprofessionals. Districts are stuck in the difficult position of planning for 2015-16 with limited information, as lawmakers continue to haggle over the education budget.

“Budget cuts mean less people to do the work, but it doesn’t reduce the work,” Obama Elementary Principal Adrain Pendleton said. “Already, budget cuts have resulted in difficult discussions with staff.”

Parents and students at the rally worried cuts would fall mostly on support staff who “help make learning easier and who love kids,” Central freshman Kadeane Smith said. “Teachers can’t be everywhere at once.”

Kirinda Anderson talked about the progress her child, a student at Wellstone Elementary, made after working with reading and math coaches – positions that are on potentially on the chopping block. “Why are programs being taken away that are proven to work for our children?” she asked.

Rep. John Lesch (speaking) was among the St. Paul DFLers who attended SPFT's rally. Seated are Reps. Carlos Mariani, Sheldon Johnson and Rena Moran.

Rep. John Lesch (speaking) was among the St. Paul DFLers who attended SPFT’s rally. Seated are Reps. Carlos Mariani, Sheldon Johnson and Rena Moran.

Anger-intervention counselors, English Language Learners teachers and other specialists also received pink slips, speakers at the rally said, and administrators warned that class sizes could go up without a meaningful increase in the school-funding formula. That news didn’t sit well with parents like Neha Lang.

“We wouldn’t ask a baker to make a cake without providing her with the necessary ingredients,” Lang said. “Yet every year public schools are asked to do more with less funding.”

With a $2 billion surplus, Lang added, “this is the moment we do not have to compromise on public school funding. We can invest in our kids.”

Several state lawmakers from St. Paul enjoyed a front-row seat at the rally inside Central’s auditorium. All pledged to sign onto a letter urging Gov. Mark Dayton to stand strong in his fight to fund universal pre-kindergarten programming and provide adequate funding for the state’s school districts.

“Not only do I stand with the governor,” Rep. Rena Moran told parents, teachers and students, “I stand with you.”

The tentative agreement reached by Gov. Dayton and legislative leaders – which likely will result in a special session in the coming days – will not fully fund statewide pre-K programming, Dayton’s top priority in 2015. The agreement does boost new E-12 spending by about $370 million, allowing for a 2 percent increase in the state’s per-pupil funding formula in each of the next two school years.

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It’s official: Dayton signs Minnesota home care workers’ contract into law

May 22, 2015 by
Pro-union home health care workers celebrated the results of their organizing election last August.

Pro-union home health care workers celebrated the results of their organizing election last August.

In a victory for 27,000 home health care workers across Minnesota, Gov. Mark Dayton today gave final approval to a historic first union contract that will dramatically improve working conditions in the industry when it takes effect July 1.

Dayton’s signature on the Omnibus Health and Human Services bill, passed by the Legislature with bipartisan support, made the contract official. It’s the first new union contract with the State of Minnesota in decades, according to SEIU Healthcare Minnesota, the union representing home care workers.

For workers, the contract means the wage floor in the industry will jump from $9 to $11 by 2016. The contract also includes paid time off – five days per year for full-time workers – plus increased training opportunities and grievance and arbitration procedures.

The contract represents a victory not only for workers, but for the seniors and people with disabilities they serve. Clients joined workers in supporting the union drive – a process that took several years and involved changing state law – and together, they cheered the governor’s final signature today.

“Invisible No More” was the slogan of home care workers’ organizing campaign. Nikki Villavicencio, a home care recipient from Maplewood, said the new contract provides more than just wages and benefits; it shows the state values the freedom home care workers provide thousands of Minnesotans who choose to stay in their homes.

Nicole Villavicencio (L) talked about why they support their home health care providers’ efforts to join SEIU Healthcare Minnesota during the lobbying effort two years ago.

Nicole Villavicencio (L) offered her support to home care providers organizing s to join SEIU Healthcare Minnesota as the campaign kicked off two years ago.

“This contract will mean a better life for workers, but also for families across the state like mine,” Villavicencio said. “My family will benefit from the increased stability that will come with a higher pay floor, paid time off, new training funds and the other benefits that this contract will provide the workers who care for us.”

The contract will also help reduce turnover among workers the industry by cutting down on wage theft. Sadie Hawkins, a home care worker from White Bear Lake, is in the middle of a fight to get the wages she’s owed – a fight the new contract will help her win.

“The grievance process will give those of us who have gone through wage theft a clear way to get the pay we are due for the work we have done – without going to smalls claims or another unpredictable process,” Hawkins said. “I worked for Forest Lake home care and my agency failed to pay me for a month of my work, but I couldn’t stop working because my client needed support. Two months later and I’m still waiting on my money.”

Although membership in the bargaining unit is voluntary, the contract will cover all home care workers serving clients in so-called “self-directed care” programs, which are supported with public funds. The new Health and Human Service bill appropriates $16.227 million toward the home care contract over two years, and its economic impact will be double that because of federal Medicaid matching, SEIU Healthcare Minnesota said.

The contract elevates standards in an industry marred by low wages, part-time schedules and few benefits, and it’s a welcome change, said home care worker Alberta McCurdy of Minneapolis.

“I currently make $9 an hour and this wage increase will help me pay my bills and pay my rent,” she said.

“I’m so excited to get paid time off after working for all these years without it,” Christine Hale, a home care worker and mother of three from Crosby, said. “The last time I had a surgery I had to go back to work right away because I was the only provider for my family – and it was really hard.”

Negotiations between SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and the state began after workers voted decisively to form a union in August 2014. The two sides reached a tentative agreement in January, and over 95 percent of voting members ratified the agreement.

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For working families, 2015 session yields mixed results – and uncertainty

May 19, 2015 by
The Move MN Coalition launched a "Duct Tape Tour" of the state from MnDOT headquarters in St. Paul this morning.

The Move MN Coalition launched a “Duct Tape Tour” of the state from MnDOT headquarters in St. Paul this morning.

The frenzied finish at the Capitol yielded mixed – and uncertain – results for Minnesota’s working families.

Although the Legislature approved a record investment in long-term care before adjourning last night, unions said lawmakers squandered an opportunity to use the state’s $1.9 billion budget surplus to restore cuts to public schools, expand access to pre-kindergarten and rebuild the state’s transportation infrastructure.

School employees held out hope for improvement on the Legislature’s $400 million package of funding for K-12 public schools. Gov. Mark Dayton, who made expanded access to pre-kindergarten his top priority this year, today vetoed the bill.

In a letter to Republican House Speaker Kurt Daudt, the DFL governor noted that the Legislature’s proposed increase to the K-12 education budget is smaller than increase lawmakers approved two years ago, when they faced a projected deficit of $627 million.

Dayton called it “incomprehensible that estate tax cuts for millionaires and property tax relief for large corporations are higher priorities for your House Republican Caucus than investing adequately in our students and young children.”

Dayton’s veto will recall legislators into a special session – a prospect welcomed by Education Minnesota, the union of 70,000 educators, and Local 284 of the Service Employees International Union.

“We can do better than a formula increase that only limits layoffs,” Education Minnesota President Denise Specht said. “We can reduce class sizes and start to bring back art, music, world languages, physical education and other courses we’ve lost to cuts over the years. We can also give all families access to high-quality preschool, not just a targeted few. There’s still a huge surplus. If not now, when?”

Carol Nieters, executive director of Local 284, said the Legislature’s bill would leave school districts across the state struggling to keep up with rising inflationary costs.

“The debate may be ongoing, but our members know the importance of funding that keeps up with inflation and allows school districts to maintain their buildings, particularly in Greater Minnesota,” Nieters said. “Anything less for our students is unacceptable.”

Transportation advocates, meanwhile, resigned themselves to continuing to push for a comprehensive, long-term plan to rebuild and repair the states roads, bridges and transit ways.

Members of the union-backed, pro-transportation Move MN Coalition today launched a three-day, 10-city “Duct Tape Tour” from St. Paul, warning that short-term, “lights-on” investments aren’t enough for the state’s aging transportation infrastructure.

“To say we are disappointed would be a huge understatement,” said Todd Pufahl, president and business manager for the Laborers District Council of Minnesota and North Dakota. “This issue isn’t going to go away. And future improvements will only cost Minnesotans more.”

On the tour members of the coalition, which includes unions, business groups and non-profit organizations, will visit potential transportation-construction sites across the state left to languish without state funding, and they will hear from local residents about the consequences of inaction for their local communities.

“As Minnesotans, we know duct tape is pretty amazing stuff, but there are things it can’t fix,” said Pufahl. “You can’t use duct tape to fill in a pot hole. You can’t use it to shore up a crumbling bridge. You can’t use it to mark a bike lane. And most importantly, you can’t use it to fix the gaping hole in transportation funding.”

Legislators also failed to agree on a new safety regulation requiring two-person crews on most freight trains passing through the state, a measure backed by the United Transportation Union. The bill advanced to the Senate floor, but failed to gain traction in the House.

“Our minimum crew requirement remains controversial to the Republican House leadership … despite our best efforts and one-on-one conversations with Republican members,” UTU Minnesota Legislative Director Phil Qualy said.

While much of the public focus was on the rift over education funding, lawmakers quietly passed the most significant increase in long-term care support in 30 years.

The measure, included in the nearly $13 billion health and human services budget, does not require a particular percentage of the payment increase to go to wages, but pay for long-term care workers is expected to go up.

“For long-term care workers, especially in Greater Minnesota, the advocacy of front line staff and other supporters over the last few years paid off with record funding for this important work,” said Jamie Gulley, president of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota, one of several unions that represent long-term care workers. “Investing in the health and safety of Minnesotans is always a good investment, and we are proud that SEIU Healthcare Minnesota members fought so hard to make this a reality in the long-term care field.”

The Minnesota Nurses Association also praised the Legislature for taking steps to prevent violence against workers in health care facilities, following a dramatic attack on staff at St. John’s Hospital in Maplewood last November. Under the new law, hospitals will be required to create and implement violence prevention plans.

“We saw a horrific event at St. John’s,” MNA President Linda Hamilton said. “The truth is nurses are assaulted in hospitals and nursing homes every day. They’re pinched, hit, and kicked by patients and their families. We’re glad to see efforts that will protect nurses and other healthcare workers from violence.”

– This report includes material from Workday Minnesota.

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