TakeAction Minnesota

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Healthcare rate hike may heavily impact farmers

Minnesota, Iowa and many other states will experience sharp increases in health insurance premiums for individual plans.

Rate increases are expected to range from 35 percent to 66 percent, a decision made by the insurance companies.

It’s a difficult situation for farmers because they often purchase insurance on their own. They are among the 300,000 Minnesota residents who don’t obtain insurance through an employer.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota has left the individual market, leaving people to scramble for options.

Many Minnesotans are concerned about the impacts of the existing healthcare model. Paul Sobocinski of the Land Stewardship Project is working to inform farmers of what’s going on and decide what to do.

“Before you get to the exact solution, you have to get people to recognize there is a serious problem,” he said. “Profit is driving the model rather than people’s health. We need a system that’s centered around people. We need much better insight and digging apart of this problem by the Minnesota Legislature.”

Ryan and Tiffany Batalden, farmers based in Lamberton, have been directly affected by the healthcare turmoil. Ryan has Type 1 diabetes and was covered through MCHA before it dissolved. The Bataldens switched to BCBS to allow them to continue seeing the same doctors.… Continue reading »

St. Paul approves citywide sick-leave ordinance

In a move city leaders said would protect St. Paul’s most vulnerable workers, the City Council approved an ordinance Wednesday requiring private businesses to provide sick leave to employees.

The unanimous vote by the City Council makes St. Paul the second Minnesota city to approve a sick-leave ordinance, joining more than two dozen cities nationwide that mandate sick leave. The crowd packed into the council chambers erupted in applause and cheers after the 7-0 vote.

Now, worker advocates and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman said, it’s time for the state to “follow our lead.”

“At the end of the day, the important thing is for there to be a statewide policy,” Coleman said after the vote. “This should be a nationwide policy.”

Said Council Member Jane Prince: “I hope this sends a message to the state for a statewide law.”

The City Council’s short discussion and vote Wednesday followed months of debate and emotional testimony at public hearings, and came amid ongoing objections from the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce and members of the business community.

Minneapolis was the first Minnesota city to approve a sick leave ordinance — in May — and Duluth also is exploring a sick-leave ordinance.

The St.… Continue reading »

St. Paul approves earned sick leave mandate

St. Paul became the second city in Minnesota to mandate that most employers offer their workers paid sick leave with a vote by the city council Wednesday.

To heavy applause, the St. Paul City Council voted 7-0 on to approve an “earned sick and safe time” mandate that will extend to most workplaces in the city.

Estimates vary, but advocates believe some 64,000 to 72,000 workers could be affected by the new mandate.

The ordinance, which takes effect July 1, 2017, requires employers to allot their workers an hour of earned sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 80 hours in a two-year period.

That time can be used to care for a sick family member or in the case of domestic assault or stalking. State and federal employers are exempt. Unlike Minneapolis, which passed a similar ordinance in May, the St. Paul rules do not exempt “micro” businesses with fewer than six employees.

Advocates called the St. Paul ordinance the strongest in the country.

“It is a win for Minnesota that means the drumbeat for statewide and, ultimately, nationwide standards grows even stronger,” said the National Partnership for Women and Families, a national advocacy organization, in a written statement.… Continue reading »

Together, we won paid sick time in St. Paul

Driven by the leadership of workers and their families, we were part of an incredible coalition that won paid sick time for more than 72,000 workers in Saint Paul! Now, all workers will be able to have up to 6 days of paid sick and safe time. And you know what, every single business will need to offer this for their workers  –  no exceptions.

esst-st-paul-winning

As a black woman that’s helped lead this campaign and who comes from a low-income community that too often lacks access to paid sick time, this means so much to me. And I know I’m not alone. Because of this, I want to let you know how this win was possible.

Towards the end of our long and hard fight for paid sick time in Minneapolis, we jumped into this campaign led by our partners at ISAIAH.

St paul 2

Driven by the leadership of workers, and alongside a powerful coalition of partners like –  ISAIAH, Neighborhoods Organizing for Change (NOC), Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha (CTUL) and many others – we worked hard to ensure that the Saint Paul City Council recognize the crisis that many, many workers in their city are living in without paid sick time.… Continue reading »

August Was a Huge Month for Berniecrats

Now that the bright lights of the Democratic convention have dimmed, the Sanders army is slowly but surely deploying down-ballot.

Fourteen states held primaries in August. According to the volunteer-run site Berniecrats.net, 210 candidates—a figure that includes local, state and congressional bids—were “Berniecrats,” meaning they endorsed Bernie Sanders and a similar progressive platform. Roughly half claimed victory. Since the primary season began March 1, Berniecrats have won 238 of 379 races, or 62.8 percent.

The Bernie effect was on strong display in Vermont’s August 9 primaries. Thirty-six of the 40 Berniecrats won.

Some, like David Zuckerman, pulled off decisive, groundbreaking victories. A straight-shooting, tractor-driving organic farmer and state legislator, Zuckerman won the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor. Zuckerman was up against two opponents, including House Speaker Shap Smith, a Democratic establishment darling. Rights and Democracy, a local progressive advocacy group, called Zuckerman’s victory a “progressive earthquake to Vermont’s political establishment.”

Zuckerman got involved in electoral politics in 1992, while a student at the University of Vermont. Two years earlier, Bernie Sanders had won Vermont’s single U.S. House seat as an Independent. “I was cynical about the two-party system of our electoral arena,” says Zuckerman, “and it was Bernie who actually inspired me to engage in the political process.”… Continue reading »

A doorknock with Erin Maye Quade

Hello, my name is Raul Noguera-McElroy, and I was an elections intern with TakeAction this summerMe!! My last day was on August 16th. I hail from New Mexico and was connected to TakeAction through Carleton College alumni who are staff at TakeAction. The best part of my elections internship this summer was participating in what  the Trekker Door Knocks. My favorite door knock was the one I did on behalf of Erin Maye Quade, who is running to represent the Apple Valley region in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Although the entire experience was incredibly fun, I want to highlight the moments that made the door knock both fun and powerful for me.

First, I appreciated meeting Erin before knocking doors and asking how she would work on issues facing Latinos like myself. Her answer shifted the narrative for me because as a Latino I felt powerful and listened to, an event that is a rarity in today’s political world. This experience sent the message to me that for the first time, my voice and my community would be heard and represented in St. Paul. Before this experience, I had felt like Latinos and our issues never made it past the front doors of the Capitol, let alone into the minds of legislators.… Continue reading »

Ilhan Omar is best prepared to unite diverse District 60B

Contrary to the Star Tribune Editorial Board’s endorsement of Mohamud Noor in the District 60B DFL primary, Ilhan Omar is the coalition-builder we need to represent this diverse district at the State Capitol.

Before Ilhan’s campaign, it was unusual for longtime residents, new Americans and students in the district to talk to one another, much less to work together for a common goal. Ilhan’s campaign has built solidarity among these groups and is a promise of what our district can become: a united community that leads the way in advancing our shared progressive values.

Ilhan believes that the diversity in this district is our greatest strength. As our state representative, she will bring all voices to the table to build a more prosperous and equitable Minnesota for everyone.

Ilhan has a unique understanding of the issues that matter to District 60B as a result of the extensive conversations she has had with community members in all neighborhoods. An ability to listen deeply and build collaborative relationships between people of different backgrounds is characteristic of her leadership and is a critical skill in a district as diverse as ours and a Legislature as fractured as Minnesota’s.

She demonstrated this type of leadership in her work as senior policy aide to Minneapolis City Council Member Andrew Johnson, when she held multiple listening sessions and forums to build support for paid sick leave.… Continue reading »

5 reasons TakeAction members endorsed Ilhan Omar

Want to know why our members were so excited to endorse Ilhan Omar for State Representative? Here are the top five reasons:

Ilhan OmarONE

Ilhan Omar’s leadership reflects our values for racial, gender and economic justice. Ilhan:

  • Supported the Ban the Box legislation in 2013
  • Joined the strike led by nurses of the Minnesota Nurses Association fighting to keep their health care
  • Currently serves as the Director of Policy Initiatives at Women Organizing Women, where she supports the civic leadership of East African women.
TWO

With support from TakeAction, MN Nurses Association, Outfront Minnesota, former Mayor R.T. Rybak, State Senator Scott Dibble, and a teeming list of community members – Ilhan has the support behind her to win. While most of the establishment assumed that everyone would automatically line up behind the incumbent, Ilhan has worked hard to prove she is the best choice for her district – and our members agreed when we resoundingly endorsed her earlier this year.

THREE

Ilhan has built a broad coalition that truly represents the diverse and beautiful communities of her district. Students, immigrants, and neighbors too often alienated by politics have joined her campaign. She has a team led by students and women of color, she has older white folks calling other seniors to talk about why its #Time4Ilhan.… Continue reading »

Changes at TakeAction

I’ve been at TakeAction Minnesota since we opened our doors more than 10 years ago, and I can tell you first-hand that this organization has never stood still, not even for a day.  Our network of powerful people and people’s organizations is always growing and changing.  And today we announce some more changes – both exciting and sad.

First the sad.  Liz Doyle, our Associate Director for almost all of these past 10 years will be leaving us.  While she will stay on our staff in a reduced role over the next couple months, she will be transitioning out of TakeAction Minnesota to seek out new opportunities.  Liz is a uniquely gifted strategic thinker, a talented and relentless organizer and coalition builder and, she is simply one of the most effective and powerful people I’ve ever known.  Period.  While she is not always in the limelight, ask anyone who has worked with Liz and they will tell you: if something good is happening, Liz Doyle is at the center of it.  From expanding health care to banning the box to passing earned sick and safe time in Minneapolis to much much more, she’s a driving force for justice in our state. … Continue reading »

A Call to Justice

JazzmenWe don’t have a Justice System, we have a crime and punishment system. One that protects the profits and property of the wealthy, and divides and controls the rest of us. If we do nothing, this system, steeped in racism, sexism, and built to enhance corporate power, will continue to target and dismantle our families. All over the country, people are standing up and demanding justice. Here is what the Justice 4 All program has been up to this month, and what we have coming up.

The Leaders of the Justice 4 All Program repeatedly joined BLM, AFT and allies in the streets, shutting down highways and taking arrests. We supported artists who were weary from marching and therefore decided to take their heartfelt expressions to the Minneapolis streets by painting a powerful mural. J4A Leaders continued our work on Voting Rights restoration and met with the Secretary of State’s office. Lastly, we brought our partners together for an event in North MPLS focused on fun and supporting our family members who are incarcerated.

YoungHoopers

Together with C.E.O. (Change Equals Opportunity), Mad Dads, the Office of Black Male Student Achievement, we hosted a 3 on 3  stop-the-violence basketball tournament along with our J4A Community Member Meeting.… Continue reading »

Meet Care Worker Action

Last week,  Abena wrote about two women who show us how critical it is to have more Care Worker Action Team-1women in leadership at the state legislature. Like many of you, I am inspired by these women and our other TakeAction endorsed candidates because they give me a glimpse of hope, a vision of the future of our state.

And I also know that leadership at our state Capitol is not enough. For most of us, we learn
about the world, we shape our ideas of who we can and should be, far away from marble halls of the Capitol building. We learn and grow at home, on our neighborhood blocks, in classrooms and the living rooms of our friends and family. And so we can’t just look for leadership at the Capitol, we have to look for leadership at home.

This is what a new program of TakeAction Minnesota, Care Worker Action, is all about. Care Worker Action works to build the leadership and power of home care workers and Personal Care Assistants (PCAs) who work to provide in-home care like housekeeping, personal care, and other support to seniors and people with disabilities.

There are 55,000 home care workers in Minnesota. Overwhelmingly, these workers are women (estimated at 89%), disproportionately people of color, and the average wage is $10.80/hour with little opportunity for raises or advancement, even after decades of experience.… Continue reading »

An interview with Amanda Otero: Organizing + Elections

Hey, I’m Mary Kate Hall, Organizing Intern. I came to TakeAction this summer, expecting to gain some insight into the electoral process and eager to join in the fight to realize their Field team - Elections Blog-1bold vision for our state. I’ve been an intern for five weeks, and TakeAction has already my expectations. In a short-time, I’ve learned that nothing that much of what this organization does isn’t conventional or expected. TakeAction’s vision for the elections is no exception: We know that if we want the power to govern, we need to do more than just win these elections. We need to build powerful relationships with these candidates and continue to build a powerful base of leaders to ensure that our work with them extends far beyond November.

I sat down with my supervisor Amanda Otero (Deputy Organizing Director) to talk more about what that work looks like for our organizing team and volunteers, and how it’s different than what we’ve done in the past.

Q: How is our organizing work different during the elections?

A: All of our work is about bringing people in, developing leaders through campaigns, and making concrete changes in the lives of Minnesotans. The election work is different because this kind of campaigning might not feel like it’s making a concrete change right now, but we have a vision of electing our own people who will help us make changes in the future.… Continue reading »

Representative Rena Moran and Maria Regan Gonzalez

We’ve been witnessing heartbreaking violence on the news lately. The discussion around race has taken over – at the water cooler, at our dinner tables, and in our door knocking conversations. At TakeAction, we believe that we need people from all races, ethnicities, genders, abilities, religions, etc. to hold elected office and to be part of the discussions for us to move conversations forward, and start making some real change. We know that only 5% of the 201 legislative seats being filled by people of color is not enough. We know that 33% of the 201 legislative seats being filled by women is not enough. And for offices smaller than that level, we don’t even track statistics.

We are ready for legislators and representatives who look like and can speak for our many, diverse communities, who’re willing to fight for racial and economic justice, and that’s why we are committed to endorsing BOLD progressive candidates. We are excited to share our newest endorsements that will be powerful voices for their communities, two leaders and women of color:

Representative Rena MoranRepresentative Rena Moran

Rena is currently the only African-American woman in the Minnesota House of Representatives. She represents district 65A, one of the most diverse districts in the state.… Continue reading »

Philando Castile

This is a statement we’ve put together as the TakeAction staff. 

This week, this month, and this year have been incredibly painful and challenging for our country. All of us here at TakeAction are grieving and shaking with rage.

We witnessed yet another set of murders of black men at the hands of the police –  Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile, a beloved father who worked with children in St. Paul Public Schools, in Falcon Heights. In that same week, four Latinos faced a similar fate. This needs to end.

In Dallas, many people joined together for a peaceful day of action and came to an abrupt stop when a lone gunman targeted 11 police officers, killing five. We mourn for the families of these officers. This is a tragedy – for all of us – and it is not a reflection of those who stand up to police misconduct. And, we can’t let it stop the conversation we’re having as a country on the rights of Black community and other people of color.

Here’s where we’re at as the TakeAction community, a historically white organization that now has a growing presence and leadership of people of color: As people of color at TakeAction, we fear for our lives and wellbeing, questioning whether or not we and our loved ones will be safe – while continuing to lead work in each of our own communities.… Continue reading »

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Teacher Unions Are ‘Bargaining for the Common Good’

This week, the Los Angeles school board voted to approve a new bargaining agreement with UTLA, the city’s teachers union. Local community organizations—like Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, InnerCity Struggle, and the Advancement Project—hailed the “groundbreaking” agreement for directing more resources towards students in high-needs schools. Some specific items UTLA bargained for included hiring a Pupil Services and Attendance counselor for high-poverty high schools, and hiring a new teacher for the 55 most needy elementary schools in order to reduce class size. Union members voted overwhelmingly in support of this new contract a week earlier.

“We commend UTLA’s innovative leadership in leveraging its bargaining power to deliver real and impactful investments for low income communities of color,” said John Kim, the Advancement Project’s executive director, in a statement.

UTLA’s president, Alex Caputo-Pearl, said in an interview that his union sees collective bargaining as an important tool available to fight for equity and justice. “A lot of people consider teacher union contract negotiations to be about narrower issues like salaries, benefits, and work rules—and all of those are important and we deal with those—but we’re using these agreements to expand what the union goes to the table for.”… Continue reading »

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Business groups and GOP push for state law to override cities’ sick, wage rules

Minnesota business groups and Republican legislative leaders are pressing for a new state law as they try to undercut a growing number of cities adopting paid-leave regulations.

The issue is a newly emerging wrinkle in negotiations for a special legislative session, as Republicans have added it as a condition for returning to St. Paul to approve unfinished funding for transportation and construction projects.

“It’s a top priority for our members,” said Charlie Weaver, executive director of the Minnesota Business Partnership, which includes many of the state’s Fortune 500 companies. “It feels like they’re making it as difficult as they can for businesses large and small to do business in this state.”

The proposed statewide law would undo Minneapolis’ new regulations requiring companies to provide paid leave and thwart St. Paul as its leaders work toward a similar measure.

The effort puts business leaders squarely at odds with community advocates and labor activists, who have focused on passing these changes at the city level, along with more favorable overtime guidelines for workers and a higher minimum wage.
DFL Gov. Mark Dayton said the issue is too controversial to be dealt with in what is supposed to be a brief special session. He said he’d be open to considering the proposal next year, but only if it came with a guarantee of more paid leave for all state workers.… Continue reading »

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 The GOP’s War on Voting Is Working

On April 5, the day of Wisconsin’s presidential primary, Anita Johnson picked up Dennis Hatten at his new apartment in West Milwaukee and took him to the polls. “We’re going to complete your journey and make sure you vote today,” Johnson told him.

Simply being able to vote in Wisconsin was no small feat for Hatten, a 53-year-old former Marine. He’d met Johnson, a 70-year-old Wisconsin coordinator for VoteRiders, in August 2015, as the country celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. Hatten was living in temporary housing for homeless veterans across the street from Milwaukee’s VA hospital. Wisconsin’s strict new voter-ID law would be going into effect in 2016, and Johnson was part of the effort to help 300,000 registered voters without an acceptable government-issued ID obtain one—9 percent of the electorate.

Hatten had relocated to Wisconsin from Illinois in 2013. His Illinois driver’s license and veterans’ ID card were not accepted as valid voter IDs in Wisconsin, so he asked Johnson for assistance getting a photo-ID card from the state Department of Motor Vehicles. “I grew up in the 1960s in the segregated South, and I remember what my parents and grandparents had to go through to vote,” Hatten says.… Continue reading »

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Meet Abena and our newly endorsed slate of candidates

Hi Friends!
My name is Abena Abraham, and I just recently joined the TakeAction Minnesota family, Abena Abrahamas the Elections Coordinator. In my role, I’m going to help lead our elections programs. I’m so excited to be joining the TAMN family because the values of the organization resonate with me and the issues and ideals I stand for. I am excited to build meaningful and lifelong relationships with our endorsed candidates, so that we have friends at the Capitol when we are pushing our progressive agenda.

This year, we are endorsing our candidates in a new way – directly with our allies. We are using the People’s Agenda as a guideline for how we endorse. The People’s Agenda outlines our 2017 legislative priorities, crafted together with our friends at SEIU, OutFront, MNA, EdMN, NOC and others. We are being intentional in making sure that we are centering the voices of Minnesotans in our decisions. We are not only endorsing these candidates and assisting them in winning, but we are making sure that our members are building relationships with them. Through these relationships we want to be able to push for bolder and more progressive legislation.

A few weeks ago, we joined with our People’s Agenda allies for a joint endorsement screening (see picture above).… Continue reading »

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Between Hell’s Kitchen and God’s Bathroom Floor: Lack of housing for ex-offenders is set-up for failure

Today, Robert Jackson has dreams as vibrant as his personality. And he’s making them happen. He’s been clean and sober since Oct. 15, 2014. With the help of RS EDEN’s rehabilitation program, Alliance Housing, and his recovery community, he’s got an unmistakable brightness in his eyes.

But he hasn’t always been so optimistic about his life journey. The jovial 51-year-old St. Paul native had an arguably normal childhood, attended both Augsburg College and the University of Minnesota, and by all accounts, was forging a path towards a successful life.

But life threw him a couple curve balls.

“I acquired a drug habit in 1988, which unfortunately sent me to prison,” Jackson said.

After a couple stints in prison, the Department of Corrections released him into the world with few resources.

“They paroled me to the Salvation Army because I had no address. No housing, no nothing.” He shrugs. “Basically, I was on my own. No help.”

“I couldn’t land a job because I had a criminal record. Then I couldn’t find housing because I had no money for deposits and I had a felony,” Jackson explained. “So I’ve been living with people, girlfriends and drug addicts, for the past 20 years, basically.”… Continue reading »

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It hurts us all

11027501_1588443904706744_7249319300711376398_nMy name is Ben Whalen. I’m a white guy who grew up middle class from the suburbs. I’ve lived a fairly privilege life.  For a long time, I was ignorant of the systemic injustices present in our justice system. I bought into the dominant narrative that only “bad guys” go to jail and get what they deserve for the crimes they committed. It wasn’t until I moved to the Twin Cities after college and got involved in advocacy and community organizing groups that I started to question that narrative. I now have multiple friends with criminal records who’ve told me about the challenges they face  to find housing and jobs long after they’ve served their time. I’ve listened to the stories from my friends who are people of color about how police arrested them, beat them, and assumed they were criminals because they “fit the description.” I’ve had friends who were exercising their right to protest, advocating for police accountability, who’ve been met with similar treatment from the police. I’ve now read about and listened to experts on mass incarceration explain how it perpetuates systemic racism. After all of this, I cannot remain silent.

In college, I had the opportunity to visit South Africa and learn about its history and culture.… Continue reading »

Advocates call for paid sick leave in Duluth

Nearly half of the workers in Duluth never get a paid sick day.

Debra Smith’s job at a temp agency supplied her with full-time work at up to $12 an hour, but no benefits. If she got sick, or if she needed to stay home to care for her daughter, who has asthma, it came out of her paycheck.

“I couldn’t take time off work — or felt that if I did, I would be paid less,” Smith said Monday at a news conference organized by Take Action Minnesota, a nonprofit focused on racial and economic equity. “That would affect my ability to pay the rent, or purchase groceries.”

Smith, who now works a job with better benefits, was one of nearly 20,000 Duluth workers who do not get paid sick leave. Roughly 46 percent of the city’s workforce has no paid leave, according to a new survey by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.

Duluth is now joining a growing number of Minnesota cities looking to implement paid sick leave regulations for businesses. Minneapolis, where an estimated 42 percent of the workforce lacks paid sick leave, is working on a plan to require businesses with four or more employees to offer that benefit.… Continue reading »

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Minneapolis passes paid sick leave mandate

Thousands of Minneapolis workers will be eligible for paid sick time starting next summer.

The City Council on Friday unanimously agreed to give full-time, part-time and temporary employees one hour of paid sick or safe time for every 30 hours they work.

Employees can accrue up to 48 hours per year, although they can’t carry more than 80 hours total without prior approval.

“Today, Minneapolis has recognized that no one should have to choose between being healthy and being paid,” Mayor Betsy Hodges said in a statement. “This is a landmark day for Minneapolis.”

Read the rest of the article here. … Continue reading »

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Minneapolis Workers Win Paid Sick Leave in Momentous Vote

Workers in Minneapolis had a momentous win Friday as the city became the first in the midwest to pass a paid sick leave ordinance. This comes after a year of organizing from numerous organizations, including Neighborhoods Organizing for Change (NOC) and the Main Street Alliance, in a worker-led campaign.

“Today’s vote is a tremendous [victory] for low-wage workers of color who fought for, demanded, and won better workplace protections. Addressing economic inequality is crucial to solving Minnesota’s persistent racial disparities. Earned sick and safe time for Minneapolis workers is an important step in the right direction,” said Anthony Newby, Executive Director of NOC, via press release.

The ordinance was passed 13-0 by the Minneapolis City Council, in front of a standing-room only crowd, and has the strong support of Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges who proposed paid sick leave in 2015 as part of her Working Families Agenda.

“Minneapolis has recognized that no one should have to choose between getting well and getting paid. This is a landmark day for Minneapolis” said Hodges.

Other groups lobbying for the ordinance included CTUL, SEIU, Minnesotans for a Fair Economy, and TakeAction Minnesota.

To read the rest of the article, click here. … Continue reading »

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The First Earned Sick Time Win in Minnesota

We did it! Driven by the leadership of workers, we won earned sick and safe time in Minneapolis for more than 123,000 people. From now on, all workers will be able to earn up to 6 days of paid sick and safe time. And they will be able to use them without being penalized for it. Join all of us in celebrating this victory by sharing this image! We’ve got to let the whole city know about it.

ESST MPLS - We Won!

Minneapolis has joined 25 other cities across the country that’ve passed a similar policy and it’s the very first city in the Midwest to do so. Let’s revisit the work that happened to make this possible.
MPLSWorks

Last August, with workers in the front lines, we launched #MPLSWorks – an effort to raise standards for working families by passing policies like fair workweek, earned sick time, wage theft protections, and $15 an hour minimum wage.

Workplace Partnership Group - Email Copy

The Workplace Partnership Group was established in October of 2015 and tasked to create recommendations for an earned sick and safe time ordinance. Liz Doyle, TakeAction Minnesota’s Associate Director, served as Chair and the Group made strong recommendations after hearing from thousands of workers and business owners. Because of a lot of grassroots organizing those recommendations are the backbone of the policy the City Council passed today!… Continue reading »

Session is Over…

11215796_10206084181410781_8898194565651388534_nSession is over, and for the past nine weeks, J4A Leaders set out to change who decides and who benefits. We put in hours of volunteer work, we told our stories boldly and came together in powerful and meaningful ways. We repeatedly proclaimed that we believe in a Minnesota where people have the power to make the decisions that affect our communities, our lives and our futures. Here is a sample of what we did together.

We Won Some Stuff: Shoulder to shoulder with allies, we supported a modest sentencing reform package that will reduce the prison population significantly over the next five years. We continued our fight for the restoration of voting rights and while it did not pass as a law, due to a variety of dynamic and strategic work done by allies, the bill did advance in the Senate for the 3rd time. Finally, we fought side by side with allies to prevent a privet prison from opening in Appleton MN and were successful.

We Built: This Session, J4A Leaders connected our work to Minnesotans across the state. We started out the year at Lino Lakes Prison building with our partners at Voices for Racial Justice and the brave men incarcerated at Lino Lakes Correctional Facility.… Continue reading »

Advocates for paid sick leave press Duluth city leaders

Duluth officials continue to hear from groups that would have the city bring paid sick leave to greater numbers of people who work in the city.

With Minneapolis about to rule on sick leave reform for its workers, and St. Paul possible to follow, Duluth finds itself in the eye of a special interest campaign aimed at policy change at the city government level.

On Tuesday, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research and TakeAction Minnesota of Duluth released data analysis that showed while more than half of the workers in Duluth benefit from paid sick leave, nearly 20,000 workers (46 percent) are without the added benefit. Even Duluth’s 54 percent of workers with paid sick leave would fall short of a 2015 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report that found 65 percent of American workers received paid sick leave.

“We are aware of the interest for a citywide ordinance,” said Mayor Emily Larson in a statement released to the News Tribune on Tuesday. “This is an important communitywide issue needing a broader community conversation, and I welcome that opportunity in the coming months.”

While men and women in Duluth benefitted at the same 54 percent rate of access to paid sick benefits, low-income and part-time workers were the most likely to go unprotected, said the new report.… Continue reading »

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Minneapolis City Council weighs new mandatory sick leave policy

Minneapolis began considering a new mandatory sick leave proposal Thursday, after months of debate about expanding worker protections in the city.

The City Council officially introduced the proposed ordinance during a morning committee meeting. It would cover most employees who work at least 80 hours a year in the city, with exceptions for independent contractors and “casual workers” who are typically on call.

Employers would be required to offer an hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours an employee worked, up to 48 hours a year, although they could offer more. The mandate would require employers to allow their workers to accrue up 80 hours of sick time.

The leave could be used for mental or physical illness, care or treatment, diagnosis, and preventive care. It also allows leave for victims of domestic abuse, sex assault or stalking.

“It’s just wonderful to see us get to this point, where we have such a balanced policy in front of us, and that we have the pieces in place to really make this successful,” said Ward 12 council member Andrew Johnson. “And I’m very excited about it and I look forward to the public hearing.”

The city has scheduled a public hearing on the ordinance on May 18, and a vote by the full council on May 27.… Continue reading »

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