Collective Bargaining Under Attack in Minnesota

Several hundred people took part in an emergency rally at the state Capitol Wednesday afternoon against poison pills the GOP snuck into bills in the middle of the night. 

But members of the labor movement, faith community, immigrants and others woke up Wednesday to learn the GOP had put in last-minute measures that will hurt workers, our families and our communities.

While negotiating the bill to fund state agencies, Republicans inserted language that would cripple the right of state employees to bargain wage increases and health insurance.

That change would force us to negotiate with the Legislature, which would mean we’d have to have a pro-worker Governor, House and Senate to win approval of a fair contract.

Other GOP measures include:

• Trying to restrict local control in a back-door way and prevent local governments from requiring better wages and working conditions. Even though GOP leadership promised to send the Governor a clean bill on local control, they have tied that bill to state employee paid parental leave and pensions. Gov. Dayton can’t veto one without vetoing the others.
• Personal care assistants and other workers represented by SEIU who care for seniors and people with disabilities would lose a wage increase and contract benefits.
• Eliminating seniority for teachers in case of layoffs.
• Changing teacher licensing.
• Language that prevents undocumented immigrants from getting drivers’ licenses.

Hundreds of people carrying signs packed the Rotunda, then marched through the Capitol to chant outside the Governor’s office and the House chambers. Several DFL legislators joined the protest to huge cheers.

“It’s time to stop the attacks on workers,” said AFSCME Council 5 executive director Eliot Seide, after leading the group in a rousing cheer of “What’s disgusting? Union busting.”

“We will not let the Capitol of Saint Paul become the Capitol of Wisconsin. The majority in the Legislature have one thing on their mind: They want to bust the unions. It’s time to kill the bad bill. It’s time to reset this session. The legislative majority is going to back off or we will take this House back.”

AFSCME Council 5 executive director Eliot Seide

“We will not become Wisconsin,” vowed the Rev. Grant Stevensen, clergy organizer for the faith-based social justice group ISAIAH. “We are a state that cares for our people. We want Minnesota to be what we know it can be.”

A MAPE leader, Tina Wong, called the GOP’s attempt to kill local control by tying it to paid parental leave for state workers “nonsense” and “disgusting.”

A homecare worker who’s a member leader with SEIU says she’s the main support for her family. Her wages have to buy food, clothes and shoes for her children.

“Nobody would do it for $11 an hour and no benefits,” Sumer Spika said, urging Gov. Dayton to veto the budget bills. “My family deserves better. Your family deserves better. We all deserve better.”

A teacher called the budget bills deeply flawed and hostile to children, families and educators. The 2 percent increase for schools would just barely cover inflation, said Kate Schmidt, president of the Dakota County United Educators. That would mean cutbacks.

TRA and MSRS have come up with a way to keep pensions reliable and sustainable for years to come through shared sacrifice: Employers and employees would kick in a bit more, and retirees would take a smaller COLA. But the GOP tied pensions to local control, too.

With “first in, last out” gone for teachers if the bills pass, Schmidt figures she’ll be on the chopping block: “Without seniority, the first person out is probably me because I’m here standing up for my students,” she said.

Francisco Segovia with Mea Latina joined the call, asking the Governor to kill the bills and start over. He says it’s time for immigrants and all people of color to no longer be treated like second-class citizens.

“We the people together can build this Minnesota where every single person is valued.”

There is still time to take action:

• Please call Governor Dayton right away at 651-201-3400 or 1-800-657-3717 (toll free).  Ask him to veto the State Government Finance Bill.  Tell him that AFSCME needs a goalie to protect our right to bargain higher wages and health insurance.
• Come to the state Capitol at Noon Thursday.