Heat and Frost Insulators celebrate 100 years
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Founded in 1913, Heat and Frost Insulators Local 34 celebrated the local’s 100th anniversary May 18 with a gala celebration at the new Radisson Blu hotel adjacent to the Mall of America.
Community
Letter Carriers’ drive collects 1 million pounds of food
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The National Association of Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger food drive May 11 collected more than one million pounds of food in the Twin Cities metro area, according to preliminary totals.
Government
Split Senate panel OKs NLRB nominees
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In split votes, the Senate Labor Committee on Wednesday approved Democratic President Barack Obama’s five nominees – three Democrats and two Republicans – for seats on the National Labor Relations Board.
Union leaders vow to improve comprehensive immigration measure
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Union leaders hailed the comprehensive immigration reform package that the Senate Judiciary Committee approved Tuesday. But they said it isn’t perfect – especially with a last-minute change opening the way for more foreign high-tech workers – and vowed to improve it.
Farm Workers, growers disagree on immigration plan
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The United Farm Workers and the nation’s farm growers’ lobby, who bargained for 13 years between themselves to create a new program for bringing foreign farm workers temporarily into the U.S., have split on details of the issue, their testimony to the House Immigration subcommittee shows.
Government
Education funding, tax reform highlight gains made in 2013 session, unions say
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Minnesota’s working families will see the most obvious fruits of the 2013 legislative session in their public schools and property-tax bills, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg of investments, reforms and initiatives passed by labor-endorsed majorities in the Legislature this year, union leaders said.
Policy
Several wins for workers in legislative session, but no minimum wage increase
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The 2013 Minnesota Legislature adjourned at midnight on Monday, bringing to a close one of the most productive legislative sessions for working Minnesotans in a generation, the Minnesota AFL-CIO said. Lawmakers failed, however, to pass legislation raising the minimum wage.
Organizing
Legislature approves historic worker rights legislation
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After a debate that took nearly 10 hours over three legislative days, the Minnesota House of Representatives approved historic legislation Monday that extends collective-bargaining rights to family child-care providers and personal care attendants.
Community
Legislature passes Homeowner’s Bill of Rights
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On Sunday the Minnesota House of Representatives passed H.F. 1377, the Minnesota Homeowners’ Bill of Rights, on a bipartisan vote of 123-0. The bill now heads to Governor Mark Dayton’s desk for signature. A companion version of the bill passed in the Senate Thursday evening.
Organizing
Fast food workers’ strikes spread
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First, New York. Then, Chicago and St. Louis. And on May 10, Detroit. Fast food workers nationwide, poor, upset and disgusted by the huge contrast between fast food CEOs’ pay and their minimum-wage, no-benefit jobs, are walking out of their restaurants by the scores.