Public employees to hold end-of-session vigil

The vigil is organized by Minnesota’s two largest state employee unions – AFSCME Council 5 and MAPE. Nearly 8,000 of their members were locked out of work for eight days when the state shut down in 2005.

The vigil will start at 9 p.m. outside the House and Senate chambers and continue until adjournment, the unions said.

“Rather than working with Gov. Dayton to pass a balanced budget, Republican legislators are playing political games,” AFSCME said in announcing the vigil. “Rather than taxing the richest two percent to protect the necessary services Minnesota needs, they’re risking a government shutdown.

“Their failure to compromise could put up to 31,000 AFSCME and MAPE members out of work July 1. With no budget, these state workers must receive layoff notices by June 8. The unions will be training their members to prepare for financial hardship.”

MAPE, the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, represents 13,000 state workers. AFSCME Council 5 represents 18,000.

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