The Minnesota AFL-CIO announced a 2001 Legislative Agenda that puts a priority on respecting work and strengthening families.

The agenda is a guideline for state lawmakers as they consider legislation during this year's session. The 400,000 union members in Minnesota, through action by their representatives to the labor federation's annual convention, adopted positions on the issues in the agenda.

'Minnesota's well-educated, industrious and stable workforce is the key to our state's healthy economy and the prosperity of our people,' the federation stated. 'If the state is to remain prosperous in the years ahead, we must continue to advance public policies that support our workforce - policy initiatives that respect work and strengthen workers' families.

'The Minnesota AFL-CIO's 2001 Legislative Agenda focuses on initiatives that demonstrate respect for the work of our citizens and strengthen working famlies - union and non-union alike.'

The legislative priorities are listed under two categories, Respect Work and Strengthen Families:

Respect Work

n Protect workers' legal right to organize

n Increase the state minimum wage and index it to inflation

n Require private firms doing public work to pay prevailing wages

n Protect personal data privacy

n Support tax fairness

n Continue state funding for the Dislocated Worker Program

n Meet the state's responsibilities to provide necessary public services

Strengthen Families

n Fund high quality public education for all Minnesota students

n Expand parental leave for working parents

n Ensure livable wages and benefits for caregivers

n Allow all Minnesotans access to quality health care and to necessary prescription drugs

n Expand affordable housing options

n Avoid fallout from utility deregulation

For more information on this agenda, you can download and read it in PDF format. (It is necessary to have Adobe Acrobat software to do this. If you do not have it, click here to obtain a free download).

Learn more about the Minnesota AFL-CIO at the federation's website: http://www.mnaflcio.org