Knutson made history as the first woman elected president of the Minnesota AFL-CIO.
Remembering Shar Knutson: ‘Her presence will be missed, but her legacy lives on’
February 22, 2022 by
Shar Knutson: Thank you for everything
October 2, 2015 by
As 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. […]
Minnesota AFL-CIO calls on Bloomington to drop charges against MOA protesters
March 10, 2015 by
Minnesota’s largest labor federation today added its voice to the chorus of community, faith and progressive groups calling on Bloomington City Attorney Sandra Johnson to drop criminal charges against 11 Black Lives Matter members arrested at the Mall of America in December. The Minnesota AFL-CIO, which represents more than 1,000 local unions with 300,000 members […]
Shar Knutson: 2015 legislative session presents challenges, opportunities
January 30, 2015 by
The 2015 legislative session is nearly one month old, and Minnesotans are presented with a very different situation than we were in 2013 and 2014. While Gov. Dayton was reelected and a DFL majority remains in the Senate, Republicans now control the Minnesota House. With a DFL-controlled state government, Minnesota’s labor movement successfully advocated for […]
A governor who will ‘go all Scott Walker’ on Minnesota? No thanks, unions say
October 31, 2014 by
Jeff Johnson, the Republican nominee for governor, doesn’t have much executive experience, but the former state legislator provided a glimpse of his leadership style May 15, telling a Tea Party group he would “go all Scott Walker on Minnesota” if elected. “I don’t know exactly what that means,” Minnesota AFL-CIO President Shar Knutson responded, “but […]
Workers call out Johnson for opposing minimum-wage increases
October 7, 2014 by
How do minimum-wage workers feel about Republican gubernatorial candidate Jeff Johnson’s opposition to wage increases scheduled for 2015 and 2016, and cost-of-living increases scheduled to begin in 2018? Ask Darcy Landau, one of tens of thousands of workers statewide who saw their wages climb to $8 per hour Aug. 1. “Does Mr. Johnson realize the […]
At convention, Trades build momentum for 2014 election push
August 1, 2014 by
ROCHESTER – With two new stadiums in the works and $1 billion in new state infrastructure investments – as well as jobs-creating regional improvements like the Destination Medical Center here – the Building Trades unions in Minnesota are riding a wave of momentum. That momentum is at stake in elections up and down the Nov. […]
Minnesota AFL-CIO adds to staff
July 16, 2014 by
The state’s largest labor federation, the Minnesota AFL-CIO, hired Todd Dahlstrom as director of organizing and growth and Bill Breon as coordinator of the Path to Power program this month. Path to Power is the state federation’s new effort to support union members running for public office, ensuring that working Minnesotans have more voice in […]
Unions: Dayton, DFL legislators delivered for working families
May 23, 2014 by
Progress is what Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton promised he’d deliver if given pro-worker majorities in the Legislature. Progress on job creation, better schools, economic justice and budget stability is what Dayton and House DFLers will point to when they campaign for re-election this fall. In the 2014 session, Dayton and legislators picked up where they […]
Minimum-wage victory showcases potential of labor-community partnerships
April 29, 2014 by
On April 14, Gov. Mark Dayton signed a bill gradually raising Minnesota’s minimum wage to $9.50 per hour by 2016 and indexing the wage so that it keeps pace with inflation beginning in 2018. The bill signing was a victory for more than 350,000 workers statewide who are expected to see a raise as a […]
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