Minnesota unionists attending the national AFL-CIO convention say they were inspired by the convention’s emphasis on organizing and coalition work – and plan to focus on these areas in the coming months.

Minnesota AFL-CIO President Shar Knutson led a delegation from the state that included officers and staff from four of the state’s area labor councils. Other Minnesotans who participated included Eliot Seide, executive director of AFSCME Council 5, and Jane Nygaard, vice president of the Eighth District of the American Federation of Government Employees.

Several of the Minnesotans addressed the convention or had roles on convention committees. Knutson served on the Resolutions Committee, which discussed the many policies to be adopted at the convention. They included measures endorsing new forms of worker organizing and urging unions to establish deeper partnerships with community groups.

The gathering provided the opportunity for the labor movement to outline its vision for a better America. Knutson said she was encouraged by the call for shared prosperity. 

Minnesota unions plan to implement that vision through campaigns to increase the state’s minimum wage and to call on Congress to implement comprehensive immigration reform.