Workers gather in Duluth for Minnesota AFL-CIO convention

Workers from across the state are gathered in Duluth for the biennial convention of the Minnesota AFL-CIO, the labor federation of some 1,000 local unions representing 300,000 members.

The convention runs from Sunday through Tuesday at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center.

The tumultuous 2016 election season will likely dominate discussion, as delegates will hear from a number of elected officials, including Governor Mark Dayton, and several labor-endorsed candidates. The national AFL-CIO and many of its affiliated unions have endorsed Hillary Clinton for president and “Clinton-Kaine” signs and buttons will be sprinkled throughout the gathering.

But the convention also will focus on the bread-and-butter of labor unions – organizing to improve wages and working conditions. A panel on Sunday will feature several workers who have recently won a voice on the job. In addition, delegates will hone in on critical issues in workshops on rights of working women, unions and racial justice, common sense economics and wage theft. Committees will debate resolutions on legislation, education, transportation and other topics.

On-going coverage will be provided on the Workday Minnesota website and the Workday Twitter feed (@workdayMN) and Facebook page (facebook.com/WorkdayMinnesota), as well as through the Minnesota AFL-CIO Twitter (@mnaflcio) and Facebook (facebook.com/mnaflcio).

Comments are closed.