Workday Magazine (https://workdaymagazine.org/author/filiberto/page/41/)
On Tuesday, August 21st, the largest incarcerated population in the world began nineteen days of protests. Primarily organized by prisoners themselves, the August 21st to the September 9th prison strike has the potential to be the largest in US history.
After emerging as the Minnesota DFL’s nominee for governor and Lt. Governor on primary-election night, Tim Walz and Peggy Flanagan won the endorsement of the SEIU Minnesota State Council. The SEIU State Council brings together over 50,000 working people across the state.
SEIU is Minnesota’s third largest and fastest-growing labor union, representing over 50,000 workers statewide who provide care and support for your family in your homes, hospitals, public schools, nursing homes, hotels, universities and the Twin Cities’ largest public and private buildings, and who make and distribute products used by Minnesotans every day.
SEIU members are on the front lines of the fight for good union jobs, quality affordable healthcare, fully-funded public schools and communities that are safe and welcoming for all families. Members are employed in a variety of occupations, including:
Hospital, clinic, nursing home and in-home support workers with SEIU Healthcare Minnesota
Public school and early childhood workers, and university faculty with SEIU Local 284
Commercial and public building maintenance employees and security officers with SEIU Local 26
Hospitality, commercial laundry, manufacturing and distribution workers with Workers United
Members from all three of the largest SEIU locals in Minnesota shared their excitement in supporting the Walz/Flanagan ticket.
LaDonna Meinecke, a clinical social worker who is a member of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota, shared why she is excited to support Walz/Flanagan this fall.
“In the 10 years I have known Tim Walz, I have been impressed with how he speaks truth to power on behalf of working families in Congress.
Prisoners have become the latest tools in statewide redistricting strategies to empower rural, white districts.
After emerging as the Minnesota DFL’s nominee for governor on primary-election night, Tim Walz today won the endorsement of the state’s largest labor federation, the Minnesota AFL-CIO(link is external).
The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) has voluntarily recognized the union formed by its coordinated campaign workers. Coordinated campaigns are the core organizing apparatus for state Democratic parties during major elections.
Pride and excitement about a new, life-changing career path filled the room at the Mermaid Event Center June 15 at a celebration for 15 graduates of a new apprentice readiness training program sponsored by six Minnesota tribal nations and the Minneapolis Building and Construction Trades Council. “This was a pilot,” explained the Building Trades’ Jenny Winkelaar. “We’ve had a tribal program through the Cement Masons for a long time but we went from one craft to 11.” Over the 12 weeks of the program, students attended classes and received a hands-on introduction to the work of 11 different building trades.
“Each week we did something different,” said Isaiah RedDay, a member of the Leech Lake tribe. “I liked them all,” he said. “I’m leaning more towards iron work or carpentry.”
Several of the new graduates of the apprentice readiness training program already had been offered apprenticeships at participating craft unions. “I’m excited to get into the benefits of the union, the health insurance, and the camaraderie,” RedDay said.
The Minnesota Newspaper and Communications Guild(link is external) warns of a “chilling effect on free speech” if the City of Minneapolis continues its high-priced investigation into the identity of a confidential source behind a recent Star Tribune exposé.
Teamsters from around the nation held a rally in downtown Minneapolis to raise public awareness about workers’ rights and the issues they face on the job in advance of the November election.
Wednesday Immigration raids resulted in 130 arrests including pork producer Christensen Farms facilities in Sleepy Eye and Appleton, Minnesota.