Carpenters union’s tip leads to felony wage-theft charges

Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and law-enforcement leaders credited the local Carpenters union with playing a key role in their investigation of wage-theft allegations on a public housing site in St. Paul, which resulted in criminal charges filed Sept. 3. Choi’s office charged Jose Herrera, Carrie Gutbrod-Herrera and Joseph Herrera, owners of Bayvista Incorporated, with […]

IUPAT’s community outreach led to first criminal wage-theft conviction in Minnesota

The Painters union said the landmark case reflects the tip of the iceberg when it comes to worker abuses in the construction industry.

Contractor who stiffed Bricklayers loses license, must pay $70,000

A local masonry contractor pled guilty last month to felony tax fraud after a joint investigation by the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office and the Minnesota Department of Revenue.

Worker advocates welcome St. Paul’s new wage theft law

St. Paul will have a new wage theft ordinance on the books Jan. 1. The measure, pushed by Mayor Melvin Carter and co-authored by all seven members of the City Council, drew praise from labor leaders and worker advocates as a step toward more robust, efficient protections for people working in the capital city. Construction […]

Construction union celebrates new laws to keep ‘bad actors’ from cashing in on public subsidies

“We know Minnesota can meet its affordable housing needs and development goals without sacrificing worker dignity and safety.”

Construction wage theft back on MN lawmakers’ agenda

Construction firms in Minnesota would bear greater legal responsibility for the labor practices of their subcontractors under legislation introduced by DFL lawmakers last month. Building Trades unions and worker advocacy groups say the measure is necessary in the wake of reported abuses on non-union construction sites, most notably the Viking Lakes development in Eagan, where […]

Unions back Little in Dakota County Attorney race

Matt Little supported the state’s groundbreaking wage theft legislation while serving in the Minnesota Senate in 2019. Now, he’s running for Dakota County Attorney to put the new law to work stopping exploitation in the workplace and on the job site. Prosecuting wage theft cases is “totally within your purview” as county attorney, Little said. […]

Uber, Lyft drivers push local lawmakers to regulate their industry

With a shoestring organizing drive that began just four months ago, Twin Cities Uber and Lyft drivers are pushing elected officials to tighten regulation of the app-based companies, and fighting for safety, transparency and a collective voice in their industry. The Minnesota Uber/Lyft Drivers Association (MULDA) will bring its fledgling campaign to St. Paul tomorrow […]

Alleged rape on Wilfs’ Viking Lakes development sparks outrage, calls for change

A worker on the Viking Lakes project in Eagan came forward last week with allegations that she was raped and harassed while working for a drywall subcontractor on the troubled job site, developed by NFL owners Zygmunt, Mark and Leonard Wilf’s MV Ventures firm. Unions and worker advocacy groups decried the alleged assault and, in […]

Trades push Royal Credit Union to ditch contractor accused of underpaying immigrant workers

Efforts to stop worker exploitation in the Twin Cities construction industry continued to gain momentum today, as construction unions called out Royal Credit Union for using an out-of-state masonry contractor accused by watchdog groups of underpaying immigrant laborers. As the credit union cut the ribbon inside a newly acquired and refurbished branch in Inver Grove […]