State unions reached tentative agreement covering 21,000 workers
AFSCME and MAPE have reached a tentative deal on a two-year collective bargaining agreement with the State of Minnesota.
Policy
With race down to wire, Barrett says it’s time to ‘fix Wisconsin’
With the bitter recall election against Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker coming down to the wire, his foe, Democratic Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, argued for getting outstanding labor support to win and “fix Wisconsin.”
Community
Building Trades members help build school playground
Members of Minneapolis Building Trades unions teamed up with other volunteers, including staff of the Minnesota Vikings, to build a school playground this week in Minneapolis.
Organizing
Workers will get another chance at union at Long Island Target store
Saying Target illegally threatened to close its Valley Stream, Long Island, store if United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500 won a recognition vote there, a National Labor Relations Board administrative law judge ordered a rerun election at the 268-worker store.
Women’s groups urge senators to pass Paycheck Fairness Act
A wide alliance of women’s rights, civil rights, community and activist groups, including the Coalition of Labor Union Women, opened a campaign on May 23 to get their members nationwide to call their senators and lobby in the next few weeks for an equal pay for equal work law, the Paycheck Fairness Act.
Community
Retired union member offers original play about Joe Hill
The song, “I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night,” popularized by folksinger Joan Baez in the late 1960s, stuck with Keith Reed. Reed, now a retired union member, will direct six performances in June of his original play, “The Murdered Minstrel of Toil: The Joe Hill Story.”
Policy
Unions cheer Minneapolis City Council approval of stadium plan
As Vikings fans wearing purple and construction workers wearing orange looked on, the Minneapolis City Council Friday voted 7-6 in the final vote of approval needed for a new Minnesota Vikings football stadium to move forward.
Workers at eight metro hospitals ratify new contract
On Tuesday and Wednesday, 3,500 members of the Service Employees International Union Healthcare Minnesota overwhelmingly voted to ratify a new, three-year contract with eight metro area hospitals.
SEIU Healthcare Minnesota members voting on tentative contract
Members of Service Employees International Union Healthcare Minnesota are voting this week on a tentative contract agreement with eight metro-area hospitals.
Policy
Nurses call for ‘Robin Hood Tax’
More than 3,000 nurses and activists gathered at Daley Plaza to rock out with musician Tom Morello and call for a tax on financial speculation — a Robin Hood tax. This small sales tax on Wall Street trades could raise up to $350 billion a year to fund health care and other needs.