Unions at the 2019 Minnesota State Fair

Throughout the two weeks of the “Great Minnesota Get Together” unions interacted with fairgoers all over the fairgrounds.

At the UFCW 663 booth members were enjoying their interactions as they signed up for raffle prizes.

Elected leaders stopped by the Education Minnesota booth.

Two of Minnesota’s biggest champions for public schools — @GovTimWalz and @SenTinaSmith — stopped by our #mnstatefair booth today 😍#mnleg #redfored #fundourfuture pic.twitter.com/ga39379wGj

— Education Minnesota (@EducationMN) August 29, 2019

The Carpenter’s booth proved popular as they raffled benches made by apprentices.

SEIU State Council noted that fairgoers had workers issues on their minds.

Hey #mnleg: the results are in and Minnesota wants Paid Family & Medical Leave. Let’s get it done!

Whole #StateFair poll: https://t.co/vO0Kddn3Da#PaidLeaveMN pic.twitter.com/xvqWMY33l4

— SEIU Minnesota (@seiumn) September 3, 2019

Finally, State Auditor and former secretary-treasurer of the Minnesota AFL-CIO, Julie Blaha, summed up Labor Day at the state fair.

The @mnaflcio mural at the #mnstatefair by @rogue_citizen sums up Labor Day: pride in the work we do, solidarity, against a backdrop of joy. Thank you to the movement that has given our country so much. Onward! pic.twitter.com/Jl4AdQ2zhd

— Julie Blaha (@julieblaha) September 2, 2019

Filiberto Nolasco Gomez is a former union organizer and former editor of Minneapolis based Workday Minnesota, the first online labor news publication in the state. Filiberto focused on longform and investigative journalism. He has covered topics including prison labor, labor trafficking, and union fights in the Twin Cities.