The voice of Saint Paul's working families since 1897
The Minnesota House passed a bill last night that would strip 150,000 Minnesotans of newly won earned-sick-and-safe-time benefits and block local governments from raising labor standards in their communities. As debate raged inside the Republican-controlled House, opponents from labor, faith and community groups rallied outside the chamber, calling the bill a corporate power grab and […]
David Roe, whose 19-year tenure as president of the Minnesota AFL-CIO saw historic expansions of workers’ rights and protections in the state, died Feb. 13. He was 92. Labor leaders and lawmakers remembered Roe as a major player in Minnesota politics and devoted family man, whose concern for the welfare of working people was genuine […]
Corporate special interests clashed with working people during a Capitol hearing last night on legislation that would roll back ordinances extending earned sick and safe time to an estimated 150,000 workers in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The local preemption bill, authored by Rep. Pat Garafalo (R-Farmington), passed its first committee hearing after a lengthy round […]
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 […]
About 85 percent of registered apprentices in Minnesota are employed in the construction trades, but federal grant funds are helping more of the state’s manufacturers harness the power of apprenticeship to boost their employees’ skills – and remain competitive in a global economy. Hood Packaging is among a growing number of firms taking advantage […]
Income inequality is on the rise in Minnesota, and disparities between white workers and workers of color continue to widen. Unions are key to reversing both of those trends, according to a new report unveiled just in time for Labor Day. Co-authored by four researchers, “The State of the Unions 2016” takes a deep […]
Standing with leaders of unions representing workers across Minnesota, members of the Minnesota Nurses Association today announced they have delivered notice to Allina Health of their intent to begin an open-ended strike on Labor Day at five Twin Cities facilities. The two sides “regressed” in mediated talks earlier this week, MNA director Rose Roach […]
Philando Castile, the man fatally shot during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights last night, was a cafeteria supervisor at J.J. Hill Montessori Magnet School in St. Paul and a member of Teamsters Local 320. Officers of Castile’s union today expressed grief at the sudden loss of their union brother, “an amazing person who did […]
Union families put their pride on display yesterday at the Ashley Rukes GLBT Pride Parade in downtown Minneapolis. The Minnesota AFL-CIO has organized a contingent in the annual parade, part of the Twin Cities Pride Festival, for years. Turnout was particularly strong this year in the wake of the June 12 mass shooting inside a […]
The most recent state legislative session was a mess, with lawmakers failing to act to repair Minnesota’s crumbling transportation infrastructure or make jobs-creating investments in transit and public works. Electing legislators who will put the state’s working families first is a top priority for labor this year, and the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation will […]
