Albert Lea hospital workers strike Mayo Clinic
|
Hospital workers at Mayo Clinic Albert Lea walked off the job on a one-day Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike Tuesday morning at 6am. Workers charge Mayo with refusing to compromise.
Amazon delivery workers call for an end to wage theft
|
Delivery workers and supporters returned to Amazon’s Eagan warehouse early Monday to call for an end to wage theft in the online shopping giant’s package delivery system. Amazon outsources most of its package deliveries through a complex system of independent contractors and subcontractors who pay workers a flat fee to drive a route each day no matter what the weather is like, what the traffic is like, how complicated the route is, and how many hours it takes. Drivers charge that they work a lot of overtime but don’t get overtime pay and that inconsistencies and repeated mistakes in pay are rampant. “I remember coming to work one pay day and I could tell a lot of workers were upset,” said former Amazon driver Keith Morrisette. “One of them came over to me and asked if my check was right because all of their checks were wrong.
U of MN Teamsters protest at Iceland Ambassador’s residence in D.C.
|
University of Minnesota employees represented by Teamsters Local 320 protested at the Washington, D.C. residence of Geir Haarde, Iceland’s ambassador to the U.S., Thursday night, December 14. Ambassador Haarde, a University of Minnesota alumnus, was hosting a holiday reception for D.C. area alumni. Outside the reception Teamsters held banners that read, “Stop Worker Abuse at University of Minnesota,” and “Ambassador Haarde: Uphold Iceland’s Values.” Haarde was Iceland’s prime minister from 2006- 2009. Iceland is known for its support of workers and workers’ rights and the University of Minnesota shares a close relationship with the state-run University of Iceland. “No employer in Iceland would ever get away with how the University of Minnesota is treating its lowest-paid workers,” said Curt Swenson, Vice President of Teamsters Local 320.
SEIU strike at Mayo Albert Lea Hospital set for December 19th
|
On December 7th, SEIU Healthcare Minnesota filed a 10-day notice of intent to hold an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike at Mayo Albert Lea Hospital. The 1-day strike is set for Tuesday, December 19th. The notice came as skilled maintenance workers who have been without a contract for over two years voted to join with certified nursing assistants (CNAs), housekeepers, sterile processing and other service workers who had authorized a 1-day strike in late November. Nate Johnson is an 18-year plant operation engineer at Mayo with the skilled maintenance unit that voted to join the 1-day ULP strike. “I voted to strike because we want real job security to be able to provide for our families,” said Johnson.
St. Paul educators demand corporations pay fair taxes
|
Teachers and parents marched to the corporate offices of US Bank, Wells Fargo, Securian and Ecolab in downtown Saint Paul calling for corporations to pay their fair share of taxes to fund public schools.
Striking fast-food workers rally at St. Paul McDonald’s
|
“We need something to live on,” said 27-year-old Tay Polite, on strike from her job at McDonald’s in the city’s Midway district. “Even with a job we’re still struggling to support our families.”
Home health care workers to receive first holiday pay this Labor Day
|
This Labor Day is the first day many of the roughly 27,000 home health care workers in Minnesota will receive holiday pay as a direct result of their union’s second contract with the state, which took effect July 1. In addition to gaining time-and-a-half pay for five holidays each year, the new contract also raises the minimum wage for these workers to $12 an hour, increases the amount of paid time off they can accrue, expands their paid training opportunities and outlines the further development of an online registry where clients who receive support services can connect with care providers.“This [Labor Day] is the first time ever that I can remember being paid time-and-a-half for working on a holiday as a PCA,” said Dawn Burnfin of Chisholm, Minn. She has worked as a home health care worker for about 23 years and served on the bargaining team for the new two-year contract. As a longtime worker in the home health care industry, Burnfin is no stranger to the challenges of the job, which often include working holidays for clients who depend on day-to-day specialized care. “They wouldn’t be able get out of bed and get something to eat if we weren’t there,” she said.
Wage Theft Rally at the Capitol to Feature Lieutenant Governor and Workers
|
At 2:00pm, Wednesday, February 15, Lt. Governor Tina Smith, Labor Commissioner Ken Peterson, state legislators, and the Minnesota Wage Theft Coalition will hold a rally at the State Capitol in support of the Minnesota Wage Theft Prevention Act. Workers from a variety of industries will talk about their experiences with wage theft.
Union members of color seek action on racial justice
|
People of Color Union Members convened a news conference to support earned safe and sick time. The event was another example of the growing visibility of POCUM, a grass roots group that is pressing the labor movement to act to create racial and social justice in the community – and in unions themselves.
Twin Cities janitors win big at the bargaining table
|
Twin Cities janitors will vote this weekend on a tentative agreement reached after a marathon bargaining session with cleaning contractors that ended early Monday.