Workers, faith communities, small businesses, and citizens will keep fighting
St. Paul— Tonight, the Minnesota House passed a bill that strips earned sick and safe time for 150,000 workers in St. Paul and Minneapolis. The vote came after weeks of public testimony against the Minnesota Chamber-backed measure, and strong opposition by DFL lawmakers on the House floor.
“People are pouring their hearts out. They’re saying we can’t survive on minimum wage, and earned sick and safe time affects our lives,” said Katie Drahos, a NOC member and retail worker. “The Chamber doesn’t have our best interest in mind. We need to remind them who buys their stuff: working people.”
Last year, workers passed earned sick and safe time ordinances in Minneapolis and St. Paul—after months of extensive input from community members, businesses, local elected officials, and nonprofits. The House bill is retroactive, changing the rules after they’re made.
“150,000 workers aren’t losing earned sick and safe time,” said Representative Erin Maye Quade on the House floor. “It’s being taken away.”
Statewide preemption undermines concrete progress. It hurts for low-wage workers, women, and workers of color. The bill will be heard in the Minnesota Senate next.… Continue reading »
Join Justice 4 All and its members as we continue to plan our corporate campaign. Learn more about how we aim to enhance fair hiring practices for formerly incarcerated and convicted people, and help us shape up a path to victory!
New paid sick leave mandates scheduled to take effect this year in St. Paul and Minneapolis face a potential new challenge: the state of Minnesota.
A House job growth committee heard lengthy testimony Thursday from dozens of business and labor advocates on either side of a bill that would strip Minnesota cities of the ability to impose citywide wage and benefit mandates in excess of state law. The bill passed the majority-Republican committee 13-9 along party lines.
The four-hour evening hearing packed in a sometimes-testy audience of workers and advocates associated with the faith-based anti-poverty group ISAIAH, the AFL-CIO, the CTUL fast food workers and janitorial union, TakeAction Minnesota and other progressive action groups. The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and retail, grocery, construction, trucking and staffing associations were largely represented by lobbyists.
Advocates have pointed to the importance of uniformity in state labor law.
“There are 854 cities in the state of Minnesota,” said committee chair Pat Garofalo, R-Farmington, the bill’s lead House sponsor. “It is unrealistic and unproductive to have 854 different labor standards.”
The DFLers on the committee called the bill an about-face for Republicans, who have supported local rule-making.
“With a flip of a moment, we are trying to take away the power of local government,” said state Rep.… Continue reading »
Coordinated by our partner organization, CTUL. For more information about CTUL, please visit: http://ctul.net/
On January 20, Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day, janitors who clean Home Depot stores in the Twin Cities will go on strike against their cleaning contractor to protest their poverty wages and Donald Trump’s anti-worker agenda – the first strike against Donald Trump in the country since his election.
The two founders of Home Depot have donated millions of dollars to Trump and one of Home Depot’s major investors supports Trump. Home Depot uses the Trump model of business for its janitorial services: using subcontractors that hire immigrant workers and sometimes face lawsuits for wage theft.
Janitors who clean Home Depot are paid poverty wages by their subcontractor and have been organizing for years to win fair wages and the right to form a union without retaliation. If Trump has his way, these worker’s wages will go even lower – as Trump told the country in November 2016, “wages are too high.”
You can stand with striking janitors at 5:30am at The Quarry, 1520 New Brighton Blvd, Minneapolis, MN 55413.… Continue reading »
JOIN US as we come together to DEMAND JUSTICE as a powerful community to get TakeAction endorsed candidate Lindsey Port elected in Burnsville (District 56B). This Saturday we’re throwing down in a big way, and WE NEED YOU!
Join us for a phone bank for Take Action-endorsed candidate’s Dan Wolgamott, Zachary Dorholt, and Abdi Daisane! On October 16th we are encouraging PCA’s, home health workers, and their allies to join us for a door knock as we support the candidates who support care providers!
Join us for a phone bank for Take Action-endorsed candidate’s Dan Wolgamott, Zachary Dorholt, and Abdi Daisane! On October 16th we are encouraging PCA’s, home health workers, and their allies to join us for a door knock as we support the candidates who support care providers!
Join us for a door knock for Take Action-endorsed candidate’s Dan Wolgamott, Zachary Dorholt, and Abdi Daisane! On October 15th we are encouraging PCA’s, home health workers, and their allies to join us for a door knock as we support the candidates who support care providers!
Join women volunteers calling women voters in support of TakeAction-endorsed candidate Alberder Gillespie in District 53B. Training and snacks will be provided. Sign up here.… Continue reading »
