Join TakeAction Members to talk to fellow Minnesotans door to door about their priorities, our vision and about re-electing progressive champions to the Minnesota House of Representatives, and electing Progressive mayoral candidate Joy Marsh Stephens, so we can keep building an economy that puts people first.
TakeAction Minnesota and the Institute for Women’s Policy Research released a new statewide analysis recently, detailing access rates to earned sick time leave across the state of Minnesota. The new report breaks down data by gender, race and ethnicity, occupation, hours worked and earnings level. Overall, the report concludes that 41% of Minnesota workers lack access to even a single day of earned sick time off.
On the morning tele-conference briefing with reporters and policymakers, Jessica Milli, Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, reviewed key findings from the statewide analysis. Milli said, “This data indicates that Minnesota workers who are least able to lose pay when they are sick are also the least likely to have employer-provided earned sick days. Earned sick time gives workers the ability to seek health services or stay home with sick children or other family members, helping reduce the spread of illness in schools and workplaces. It provides more economic security for families across the board, but most especially for those struggling in lower-wage and part-time jobs.”
I don’t have kids myself. Perhaps that is why I am so elated when kiddos come to our office with their parents. 
Last week we had a little four month old girl come to a night of calling with her mother. (I spent a good portion of the evening calling with a sleeping baby on my lap!)
As I called other women in the 8th CD that night and heard babies crying or kids refusing to eat dinner or giggles of bedtime shenanigans, I felt an incredible resolve to talk to these families about why the elections mattered to them.
This is bigger than a victory on election night. This is about women talking to other women about what we need in Minnesota for women and families to succeed- paid time off to care for a sick child, paid paternity leave, affordable childcare.
It is so compelling and honest to watch our Duluth office fill to the brim each Monday and Thursday with a group of women ready to work. The elections aren’t the answer to the big daunting problems we face. But they are a start. They are a place we gather to share what isn’t working, and begin talking about what we can do next.… Continue reading »
What if we could stop the political pendulum from swinging from left to right in Minnesota? With your help, we can move our politics permanently towards real equity and deep democracy.
Sign up to join TakeAction Members to talk to fellow Minnesotans about their priorities, our vision and about re-electing progressive champion Zach Dorholt so we can keep building equity and democracy in our state.… Continue reading »
What if we could stop the political pendulum from swinging from left to right in Minnesota? With your help, we can move our politics permanently towards real equity and deep democracy.
Sign up to join TakeAction Members to talk to fellow Minnesotans about their priorities, our vision and about re-electing progressive champions so we can keep building an economy that puts people first.… Continue reading »
What if we could stop the political pendulum from swinging from left to right in Minnesota? With your help, we can move our politics permanently towards real equity and deep democracy.
Sign up to join TakeAction Members to talk to fellow Minnesotans about their priorities, our vision and about re-electing progressive champions so we can keep building an economy that puts people first.… Continue reading »
On October 16th, TakeAction volunteers will be calling for women’s economic justice in all three of our offices. From Grand Rapids to Duluth to St. Paul, we’ll be talking to voters about why we need to re-elect champions for women’s economic justice this year!
Sign up here to join us at 5pm for a meal and conversation about what’s on tap for women’s economic justice this legislative session, then we’ll hop on the phones for Representative Barb Yarusso, one of our endorsed candidates and champion for women in our state.… Continue reading »
What if we could stop the political pendulum from swinging from left to right in Minnesota? With your help, we can move our politics permanently towards real equity and deep democracy.
Sign up to join TakeAction Members to talk to fellow Minnesotans about their priorities, our vision and about re-electing progressive champions so we can keep building an economy that puts people first.… Continue reading »
What if we could stop the political pendulum from swinging from left to right in Minnesota? With your help, we can move our politics permanently towards real equity and deep democracy.
Sign up to join TakeAction Members to talk to fellow Minnesotans about their priorities, our vision and about re-electing progressive champions so we can keep building an economy that puts people first.… Continue reading »
What if we could stop the political pendulum from swinging from left to right in Minnesota? With your help, we can move our politics permanently towards real equity and deep democracy.
Sign up to join TakeAction Members to talk to fellow Minnesotans about their priorities, our vision and about re-electing progressive champions so we can keep building an economy that puts people first.… Continue reading »
What if we could stop the political pendulum from swinging from left to right in Minnesota? With your help, we can move our politicspermanently towards real equity and deep democracy.
Sign up to join TakeAction Members to talk to fellow Minnesotans about their priorities, our values, and electing progressive champions like Representative Yvonne Selcer so we can keep building equity and democracy in our state.
… Continue reading »
What if we could stop the political pendulum from swinging from left to right in Minnesota? With your help, we can move our politicspermanently towards real equity and deep democracy.
Sign up to join TakeAction Members to talk to fellow Minnesotans about their priorities, our vision and about re-electing progressive champions so we can keep building an economy that puts people first.… Continue reading »
What if we could stop the political pendulum from swinging from left to right in Minnesota? With your help, we can move our politicspermanently towards real equity and deep democracy.
Sign up to join TakeAction Members to talk to fellow Minnesotans about their priorities… Continue reading »
What if we could stop the political pendulum from swinging from left to right in Minnesota? With your help, we can move our politicspermanently towards real equity and deep democracy.
Sign up to join TakeAction Members to talk to fellow Minnesotans about their priorities… Continue reading »
For Immediate Release – September 12, 2014
Contact: Greta Bergstrom, Greta@TakeActionMinnesota.org, 651.336.67222
Those Least Able to Afford Unpaid Sick Time Off, Lack Access Including 41% of Minnesota Workers
St. Paul, MN – TakeAction Minnesota and the Institute for Women’s Policy Research released a new statewide analysis on Friday, detailing access rates to earned sick time leave across the state of Minnesota. The new report, which can be downloaded here, breaks down data by gender, race and ethnicity, occupation, hours worked and earnings level. Overall, the report concludes that 41% of Minnesota workers lack access to even a single day of earned sick time off.
On the morning tele-conference briefing with reporters and policymakers, Jessica Milli, Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, reviewed key findings from the statewide analysis. Milli said, “This data indicates that Minnesota workers who are least able to lose pay when they are sick are also the least likely to have employer-provided earned sick days. Earned sick time gives workers the ability to seek health services or stay home with sick children or other family members, helping reduce the spread of illness in schools and workplaces. It provides more economic security for families across the board, but most especially for those struggling in lower-wage and part-time jobs.”… Continue reading »
The Bethany Lutheran Church sits in the center of the Seward neighborhood, southeast of downtown. It’s the kind of neighborhood where a non–hierarchically run cafe jostles up against a radical bookstore and co-op grocery, and the local representative belongs to the Green Party. Before learning about Minneapolis’s deep poverty and racial inequity, this was the city of my imagination, a sort of radical utopia where the only oppression was inflicted by the winter weather.
The church, however, offers a different narrative. Bethany Lutheran serves as the headquarters for Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha, or CTUL (pronounced say-tool). Inside, there is a bulletin board covered with photos of men and women protesting; a piece of butcher paper lists the sueldos robados—stolen wages—the group recovered in 2011. While the contractors listed are mostly small and unfamiliar, in recent years CTUL has moved up the supply chain, waging a campaign against the retail giant Target, which is headquartered in Minneapolis, hoping to organize the subcontracted janitors who clean the company’s stores.
“Lots of people said these workers were impossible to organize,” says Veronica Mendez, CTUL’s fiery co-director. “Those people were wrong.”
…
The seeds that grew into Minnesotans for a Fair Economy were planted out of frustration.… Continue reading »
Labor Day constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. The American worker is the core of our high standard of living and great production in the world. Evidence of this can be found in the history of a workforce that has had dramatic impact on the success of this nation.
There is one group in particular whose mark on the nation’s workforce history was pivotal yet greatly overshadowed by the events of the time. And appreciation for their work is deserved and long overdue.
More than 70 years ago, Irene Weller and Adeline Stoskopf, both of Grand Rapids, were among the millions of women who answered the call to enter the industrial labor force in tough jobs left vacant with widespread male enlistment during World War II.
…
Earlier this month, Weller and Stoskopf were recognized as “Rosie the Riveters,” in the Tall Timber Days parade with Take Action Minnesota, a network working for racial and economic equity across the state. In pushing equal pay for men and women, Take Action is shedding light on the fact that despite the advancements made by women over the past decades, difficulties like pay disparities make it hard for women to get ahead.… Continue reading »
Last weekend, I used “FaceTime” with my Grandma Marion who lives in North Carolina. FaceTime isn’t complicated, it’s just an app on a cell phone that lets you video chat. But what this simple tool gave me was a chance to see my Grandma’s smile, give her a virtual tour of my apartment and vegetable garden, and actually wave hello and goodbye as we greeted each other and said goodbye.
It was great to see my Grandma’s face. And as we hung up, I thought about all the things she’s taught me about the more “traditional” kind of face time – the kind of engagement in community that doesn’t require a cell phone.
Over the years, I’ve watched her carefully staying in touch with friends in far off places through hand-written letters, Christmas cards, and newspaper clippings and I’ve learned about the power of building relationships and being present in people’s lives. As I watched her meet, talk with, and become close to my friends (I swear most of them liked hanging out with her more than hanging out with just me), I learned that differences in generations don’t need to divide us, and that they can be bridged through stories, conversation, and shared values.… Continue reading »
It’s been a busy summer in the North Country for TakeAction Minnesota. We wanted to make sure you knew what we’ve been up to, so we’ll be writing a blog post every month. Here’s our first installment…
It is election season. Picnics, parades, and door knocking abounds in the beautiful land of tall pines and big lakes. It’s my favorite time of the year. As much as I love running on the amazing trails we have, I am equally jazzed to work hard to elect a slate of progressive Northlanders who will work to create a community that works for everyone.
From Grand Rapids to Duluth we are talking about why the elections matter to us. In Grand Rapids two 90 year old Rosie the Riveters marched in the Tall Timber Days parade to highlight the long way we have come, and the long way we have to go, on women’s economic justice. In Duluth we are hosting working families’ phone banks to talk about why paid sick days matter to working families.
Yes, it’s nice outside. Yes, we could all be dipping our feet off the dock. But would that get us where we want to be in November? Not so much.… Continue reading »
Can you name the worst job you’ve ever had? For Cliff Martin, that’s not an easy question. All three of his current jobs—delivering newspapers, delivering magazines and working as a janitor—are strong contenders. Taken together, they pay so poorly that the 20-year-old Northfield, Minnesota, native relies on MNsure, the state Medicaid plan, for healthcare and lives at home with his father to save money. But what if Martin’s bosses had to fork over a fee to the state for paying him so badly? That money, in turn, could be used to help support Martin and his fellow low-wage workers in a variety of ways, from direct subsidies for food and housing to social programs such as Medicaid or public transportation.
TakeAction Minnesota, a network that promotes economic and racial justice in the state, wants to make that fee a reality. It’s developing the framework for a bill that it hopes will be introduced in 2015 by state legislators who have worked with the network in the past. As conceived, the “bad business fee” legislation would require companies to disclose how many of their employees are receiving public assistance from the state or federal government. Companies would then pay a fine based on the de facto subsidies they receive by externalizing labor costs onto taxpayers.… Continue reading »
Kissy Mason understands the importance of second chances. As she grew up in Minneapolis in the ’80s and ’90s, she watched her family members move in and out of prison and saw the discrimination they faced as a result.
“People in my family were being locked up, and then they were locked out of a right to live, a right to employment,” she said.
Mason decided early on that she wouldn’t follow in their footsteps and end up in the prison system. After moving around Minnesota, she returned to Minneapolis to earn her associate’s degree in criminal justice. But in 2006, a domestic argument got out of control and led to a conviction. Mason was offered probation—but her record was no longer clean.
Because of a background check that brought up the incident, she no longer qualified for low-income, or Section 8, housing and struggled to find employment. “At that time,” she said, “I had three children, and I was trying to provide for them.”
“Sometimes people bar you from jobs forever because of one incident, and I don’t think that’s fair,” Mason said. “People should be given another chance. It shouldn’t be one time and you’re out.”
The Hobby Lobby and Harris v. Quinn rulings handed down by the Supreme Court’s conservative and male majority lay bare exactly what they value. And it’s not caring for each other. Nor is it a woman’s right to make her own decisions. Instead, these justices value ever-expanding corporate power at the expense of working people and believe that women, and the professions they lead, are worth less than others. In ruling as they did on two very disparate topics, these five men have launched an assault on women in the workplace. But it’s workers and their families who should be concerned.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 30, 2014
Contact: Greta Bergstrom, Greta@TakeActionMinnesota.org, 651.336.6722
SCOTUS Ruling in Harris v. Quinn Chooses Corporations Over Home Care Workers Fighting to Improve Quality of Jobs and Client Care
St. Paul, MN – TakeAction Minnesota’s Executive Director, Dan McGrath, released the following statement following the 5-4 decision today in the Harris v. Quinn case:
“This morning’s decision by the Supreme Court in Harris v. Quinn again demonstrates the power of the courts to assist corporations in undermining the basic rights of people in this country. While narrow, the ruling helps corporations who receive public funding continue to diminish the voices and economic stability of home care workers and the quality of care given to their clients, the vast majority seniors and persons with disabilities.
“The SCOTUS ruling leaves us all worse off. Legally weakening the collective bargaining power of public employee unions strengthens the hand of corporations while increasing the vulnerability of workers and those they serve.
“Despite today’s decision, we will stand united with home care workers and organized labor in Minnesota to continue the fight for better quality care and good jobs. It is essential that we ensure home care workers have a strong voice to negotiate improvements for themselves and the clients they care for. … Continue reading »
It started with the Women and Family’s Economic Security Summit in Duluth this May, said Kathleen Blake, a Grand Rapids resident who recently traveled to Washington, D.C. with a delegation of women from around the state who attended the White House Summit on Working Families.
The delegation was sent by TakeAction Minnesota, a statewide progressive organization that organized the Duluth summit.
As home retailer Ikea announced plans to raise the average, hourly minimum wage at its U.S. stores to $10.76, the pressure is mounting for other big brand businesses to lift pay for their workers.
Large companies, from retail to food—as well as many states—have hiked their hourly rate, or are considering such a move.
Gap in February said it would set $9 as the minimum hourly rate for U.S. workers, and raise the minimum to $10 next year. Chipotle Mexican Grillhas said an increase to $10 an hour could be absorbed. Starbucks says it would support efforts to lift wages, but hasn’t taken a stance on any specific proposal.
Ikea’s announcement is “a significant step nationally in moving the wage from where it is now,” said Greta Bergstrom of TakeAction Minnesota, which has lobbied to raise wages in the state. Minnesota lawmakers in April approved lifting the state minimum wage to $9.50 an hour over three years.
Ikea’s decision “will put pressure on other big box retailers to raise their wages,” Bergstrom said.
On June 23, TakeAction Minnesota member headed to the White House for a summit on women and working families. Channel 12 spoke to her about why she made the trip.
Click here to watch Gloria. She begins at 2:25.… Continue reading »
George Goehl is the executive director of National People’s Action Campaign, a network of metropolitan and statewide organizations that are building independent political power to advance racial and economic justice.
In Democratic Promise, his landmark account of the populist movement, historian Lawrence Goodwyn describes achieving collective self-confidence as a critical benchmark for powerful democratic movements. He rightly argues that reaching this psychological tipping point allows social movements to grow exponentially.
Congressional gridlock and austerity have not just expanded inequality in our nation; they have constrained people’s sense of possibility, undermining faith in politics as a means for creating change and in the idea of government as an equalizer in our society.
As a result, these days progressives can build collective self-confidence by starting where we have the most leverage: in the cities. Twenty-seven of the nation’s thirty largest cities voted blue in 2012. In itself, this does not constitute transformative change, but it does present a battlefield for creating next-generation policies and for recruiting candidates to run on a “people and planet first” agenda. And as citizens benefit from this agenda, their faith in politics and in good government will grow.
Our work in cities needs to be part of a plan to shift the politics of state governments, which control too much money and too many rules to ignore.… Continue reading »
Thank you for joining us last week in Duluth at the Women and Family’s Economic Security Summit. Here are the materials you received in your packet:
The State of Play for Women and Families in Minnesota
Fair Shot: A Plan for Women and Families to Get Ahead
Nominate an Attendee for The White House Summit on Working Families
The Millennial Vote: Why the Young Vote Matters
Panelist and facilitator biographies
It’s too soon to declare that the American women’s movement, begun in 1848 and revived in 1970, is gathering strength for a third wave of sweeping change. But if it is, future historians may note that this time, Minnesota was among the states that got it rolling.
That wasn’t true during two earlier waves. When women pushed for voting rights and the ability to enter male-dominated fields, Minnesota kept pace but was not in the vanguard of change.
But this month’s enactment of the Women’s Economic Security Act (WESA) vaulted this state into the lead in efforts to make work fairer and more humane for women — and along the way, for men, too. So said officials at the Washington, D.C.-based Center for American Progress, who came to Minnesota last week to praise what the 2014 Legislature accomplished (see accompanying text) and to call for more in 2015. With better protection from workplace discrimination for pregnant women, nursing mothers and parents of both genders, “You’re ahead of the curve,” said Lori Lodes, the Center for American Progress senior vice president.
Yet a gathering in Duluth last week for more than 100 Minnesotans who helped pushed WESA into law was not a victory party.… Continue reading »
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 22, 2014
Contact: Greta Bergstrom, 651.336.6722, greta@takeactionminnesota.org
Duluth, MN — TakeAction Minnesota and the Center for American Progress Action Fund hosted a day-long forum focused on placing women and families at the center of Minnesota’s public policy debate. Minnesota Speaker of the House Paul Thissen gave the lunch-hour keynote and spoke about how Minnesota will work to ensure that women and families have a fair shot at getting ahead, not just getting by. The conference comes on the heels of passage of the Minnesota Women’s Economic Security Act, which is nationally recognized for its potential to improve the economic status of women and working families.
“We cannot grow our middle class unless ladders of opportunity exist for all women,” said Speaker Thissen. “The Women’s Economic Security Act is a vital step toward making Minnesota a place where women earn equal pay for equal work and where all Minnesotans have a fair chance at success. We need to continue our efforts to expand economic opportunity to women and all Minnesotans because when women succeed, Minnesota succeeds.”
State Senator Sandy Pappas, President of the Minnesota State Senate, was the featured opening speaker. Sen. Pappas led the successful Senate passage of the Minnesota Women’s Economic Security Act, signed into law by Governor Mark Dayton on Mother’s Day.… Continue reading »
