Labor

For minimum-wage earners in Minnesota, 'a constant juggling act'

By Michael Moore, St. Paul Union Advocate

Rep. Jason Metsa hears from minimum-wage earners (from left) Robert Schiff, Janiece Watts and Avita Samuels. (Photo by Michael Moore)

The state legislator spending a week on minimum wage met Thursday with three Minnesotans for whom the minimum-wage challenge is an everyday reality. Four days into his five-day walk in the shoes of the state’s lowest-paid workers, Rep. Jason Metsa listened as three minimum-wage earners related the experiences Metsa wouldn’t have during his five-day experiment.

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Busting myths on $7.25 an hour: A profile of Veronica Mendez of Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha

By Allison Herrera, The Uptake

Veronica Mendez is a myth buster. Sadly, she says one of the biggest myths that needs busting is one of the myths Americans most want to believe about their country: The myth that if you work hard enough and long enough, you can succeed.

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Hundreds gather in Minneapolis as part of nationwide rallies for immigration reform

By Steve Share, Minneapolis Labor Review

Hundreds gathered for the immigration reform rally at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis. (Photos by Steve Share)

As part of a nationwide day of action April 10, a rally for commonsense immigration reform in Minneapolis featured speakers from labor, the faith community, business and immigrant workers’ groups. The crowd of several hundred people gathering at the Hennepin County Government Center plaza included many families with young children.

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Five days on minimum wage: Rep. Metsa goes grocery shopping

By Michael Moore, St. Paul Union Advocate

Rep. Jason Metsa compares prices of peanut butter at the Midway Cub Foods.

Peanut butter or jelly? Juice or coffee? Dry spaghetti or ravioli in a can? Those aren’t decisions Rep. Jason Metsa usually wrestles with in the grocery store, but the Iron Range DFLer is tightening his belt this week after signing a pledge to live on Minnesota’s minimum wage of $7.25 per hour for five days. Working America, the community affiliate of the AFL-CIO, issued the minimum-wage challenge to state lawmakers in the hopes of drumming up support for a House bill that would raise Minnesota’s minimum wage to $9.95 per hour.

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Pension funds seek financial boost from contributors

By Liz Stoever, Session Weekly/Session Daily

Funding deficiencies across several state public pension and retiree plans could mean a series of benefit reductions along with contribution increases.

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Students call for wage theft awareness, hope for help from University of Minnesota

By Kia Farhang, The Minnesota Daily

Students in a Migrant Farmworkers class will educate community members about labor rights Thursday, launching a campaign that may call on the University of Minnesota administration to get involved.

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Minneapolis civil rights director to 'ride herd' on hiring goals, still won't report specifically on hiring of Blacks

By Charles Hallman, Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

(l-r) City Council Member Elizabeth Glidden, Toni Newborn, Velma Korbel, Karen Francois, and Jennifer White (council office associate for Glidden) (Photo by Charles Hallman)

Minneapolis Civil Rights Director Velma Korbel pledged recently that her department will have a “distinct presence” in addressing issues of employment equity and monitoring construction hiring goals in the city. She also said, however, that the department is still not in a position to specify how many African Americans have found work on publicly funded construction projects.

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MN VIDEOS | IWW picket at Chicago Lake Liquors

By Steve Onderick, MN Videos

The new Chicago Lake Liquors Food and Retail Workers United union says five workers were fired from Chicago-Lake Liquor for organizing. The union struck back with a picket on Saturday, April 6, 2013.

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Training workers is focus of omnibus jobs bill

By Mike Cook, Session Weekly/Session Daily

The $234.86 million omnibus jobs and economic development bill unveiled Tuesday has a focus on training workers for better futures.

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Childcare assistance makes work pay

By Colleen OConnor Toberman, Minnesota 2020

Childcare is a costly part of many families’ budgets at any income level, but particularly for Minnesotans. Our state ranks among worst in childcare affordability; annual care for one infant averages $13,580 here (more than in-state tuition at the U of M). That’s nearly 16 percent of the median income for a two-parent family—and 52 percent of the median income for a single parent. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that childcare consumes no more than ten percent of a family’s income.

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