Half Price Books workers ready to bargain after victory in St. Louis Park

In an election certified yesterday by the National Labor Relations Board, workers at Half Price Books in St. Louis Park won recognition of their union, joining workers at three other Twin Cities locations who voted to organize a month earlier. United Food and Commercial Workers Local 663, which supported the organizing drive, said workers in […]

Nationwide campaign to fight cancer launches at Twin Cities union grocers

The campaign will encourage customers to donate $1 or more at checkout, with proceeds supporting cancer research and copay support.

Protesters say Trump, Walmart share the same values

From selling goods manufactured overseas to avoiding federal taxes, Walmart and Donald Trump have a lot in common. In fact, it’s a connection so strong that Walmart sells products promoting Trump’s presidential campaign on its website. Nearly 50 people connected the dots between Trump and Walmart at a protest Monday in St. Paul’s Midway shopping […]

Grocery union launches campaign to hold Hy-Vee accountable for ‘good jobs’

As Hy-Vee moves into the Twin Cities market, union grocery workers are rolling out a campaign to hold the supermarket chain to local standards for “good jobs.” That means high wages, guaranteed schedules, affordable health care and retirement plans – and the security of a union contract. “The ability to negotiate guaranteed wage increases, hours […]

Still waiting on back pay, former workers spoil grocer’s grand reopening

When Fresh Seasons Markets in Victoria and Glen Lake closed a year ago, owner Tom Wartman failed to pay his employees the vacation and personal-holiday pay they had earned, their union alleges. Local 653 of the United Food and Commercial Workers has taken legal action to recoup workers’ pay, and the union’s Health, Welfare and […]

Lawmaker calls on Target to follow Walmart’s lead, raise workers’ wages

After relentless pressure from workers and the community, Walmart announced last month it will raise minimum pay for its workers to $9 an hour in April and $10 an hour by February 2016. Now, one Minnesota lawmaker is calling on Minneapolis-based Target to follow Walmart’s lead. Rep. Joe Atkins, lead DFLer on the Minnesota House […]

Union sees growth potential in state’s medical cannabis industry

Workers at Minnesota Medical Solutions, one of two firms authorized by state regulators to manufacture and dispense medical cannabis, announced today they have unionized and ratified their first contract, all in the last week. The state’s Bureau of Mediation Services on Tuesday authorized Local 1189 of the United Food and Commercial Workers – a St. […]

Video: Black Friday march in St. Paul

On the biggest shopping day of the year, nearly 500 people in St. Paul demonstrated outside the Midway Walmart, demanding that the retailer pay its associates living wages and stop retaliating against workers organizing for change. Four striking Walmart workers from Apple Valley led a march from Walmart to a nearby McDonald’s, where activists called […]

Dakota Premium, last packinghouse in South St. Paul, shuts down ‘indefinitely’

Dakota Premium, the only meatpacking plant still operating in South St. Paul, idled production July 2, leaving 300 workers, including 275 members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1189, out of work indefinitely. Local 1189 President Don Seaquist thinks the closure is more definite than indefinite. “The company’s public statement is that this is […]

Time is now, marchers say, for House to pass immigration reform

Supporters of comprehensive immigration reform clogged the streets of downtown Minneapolis today, joining a “National Day of Action for Dignity and Respect” and amplifying the call for Congress to fix the nation’s broken immigration system. More than 1,000 people – a crowd heavy on families and children – marched from the Basilica of St. Mary […]