The new division is part of the Commerce Committee and brings the word "labor" back into the House committee structure.
"It\'s a new committee," Rep. Jim Davnie (DFL-Minneapolis) said of his new leadership assignment. "We all talk about the value and dignity of work but in the Legislature we haven\'t always acted that way."
Davnie is entering his fourth term in the House. He is a teacher and former teacher\'s union leader.
"Speaker-elect Anderson Kelliher saw there was a need for a place where the legislature could look at labor issues and issues of working people," Davnie said. "We haven\'t had that for a long time. Now it\'s up to Labor to determine what opportunities we want to pursue."
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Rep. Jim Davnie |
Davnie knows first-hand the challenges workers face in trying to organize a union. He led his first union organizing drive at age 16 when working in a restaurant. Later, as a health care worker, he tried — unsuccessfully — to bring a new group of workers into a larger SEIU unit "despite strong employee support for the union."
As a teacher, Davnie became active in his union and served three years as the local\'s president.
"I\'ve got an actual history as a labor activist for a long time," Davnie noted.
Steve Share edits the Minneapolis Labor Review, the official publication of the Minneapolis Central Labor Union Council. Visit the CLUC website at www.minneapolisunions.org
Share
The new division is part of the Commerce Committee and brings the word "labor" back into the House committee structure.
"It\’s a new committee," Rep. Jim Davnie (DFL-Minneapolis) said of his new leadership assignment. "We all talk about the value and dignity of work but in the Legislature we haven\’t always acted that way."
Davnie is entering his fourth term in the House. He is a teacher and former teacher\’s union leader.
"Speaker-elect Anderson Kelliher saw there was a need for a place where the legislature could look at labor issues and issues of working people," Davnie said. "We haven\’t had that for a long time. Now it\’s up to Labor to determine what opportunities we want to pursue."
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Rep. Jim Davnie |
The new Labor and Consumer Protection Division "is a very good fit for me," Davnie said. "I come out of the Labor movement." He adds, "I\’ve also been a leader in consumer protection and privacy issues."
Davnie knows first-hand the challenges workers face in trying to organize a union. He led his first union organizing drive at age 16 when working in a restaurant. Later, as a health care worker, he tried — unsuccessfully — to bring a new group of workers into a larger SEIU unit "despite strong employee support for the union."
As a teacher, Davnie became active in his union and served three years as the local\’s president.
"I\’ve got an actual history as a labor activist for a long time," Davnie noted.
Steve Share edits the Minneapolis Labor Review, the official publication of the Minneapolis Central Labor Union Council. Visit the CLUC website at www.minneapolisunions.org