Laborers Mobilize to Fight so called "Right to Work" Amendment

Over the past weeks, Laborers in Minnesota have been mobilizing in recod numbers to fight back against the unfair, unsafe and unnecessary "right to work" amendment being proposed at the Legislature in Saint Paul. For now, check out this video we produced showing our members at the Capitol, talking to their legislators but how "right to work" would devastate our unions and our communities.

After watching the video, click here to send your legislator a letter asking them to vote "NO" on a "right to work" constitutional amendment.

Then return to this website for more information and ways you can get involved.

So called "Right-to-Work" Amendment is Unfair, Unsafe & Unnecessary

The same corporate CEOs who have taken away collective bargaining rights in other states are pushing a constitutional amendment here in Minnesota that if passed would weaken our rights and lower our wages and benefits and threaten our pensions.

We have negotiated in good faith with our signatory contractors and made sacrifices to help us all weather these tough economic times.  Despite our sacrifice, corporate CEOs and the politicians they helped elect are pushing a so-called “right to work” law in Minnesota that would result in even more concessions from struggling working families in our state. That’s wrong.

Plain and simple, right to work is unfair, unsafe and unnecessary.

• UNFAIR: Right to work is UNFAIR because it not only allows those who don’t pay their fair share to benefit at their co-worker’s expense, but it also further tilts the balance in favor of corporate CEOs and the 1%. 
• UNSAFE: Right to work is UNSAFE because it weakens workers’ voice on the jobsite meaning more workplace deaths. And it means that nurses, firefighters, police officers and construction workers can’t negotiate for things that keep us all safe like life-saving emergency equipment, quick emergency response times, adequate safety training and good materials.
• UNNECESSARY: Right to work in UNNECESSARY because Minnesota already has a great quality of life – not only does RTW not improve it, it actually puts it at risk.“

Minnesota Laborers are leading the fight against the "Right to Work" amendment. To get involved, click here and sign up to fight back, and watch this website for continued updates on this fight.

Laborers Set Legislative Priorities for 2012 Session

Some rights reserved by TBoardThe Laborers District Council of Minnesota & North Dakota (LDC of MN & ND) has released its legislative priorities for the 2012 session of the Minnesota legislature. "This will be a critical session for Laborers," said Todd Pufahl, Legislative Director for the LDC of MN & ND. "As the economy slowly recovers from the Great Recession, we need the legislature to be laser focused on creating jobs for Minnesota's critically depressed construction industry."

"Our members are ready to fight back against a corporate agenda that cuts the taxes of millionaires while kicking hard working families off unemployment and trying to steal their unions," said Russell Hess, Political Organizer for LDC of MN & ND. Support of rank and file members will be the key to achieving these priorities. We need all of our members to first, sign up to our E-Activist List and then to respond when your union calls to take part in any needed actions. The job you save may be your own.

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Laborers Endorse Member Josh Bassais for MN House 61B

With Representative Hayden’s win creating yet another Special Election to fill his vacated House seat, the timing is right for the Laborers District Council of MN & ND to announce our endorsement of “one of our own” Minnesota Laborers Union Organizer, Josh Bassais, for Minnesota House District 61b.

Josh is a lifelong Minneapolis resident whose union roots go back generations. Josh’s life, educational and work experiences have prepared him well to be the strongest and most effective advocate for the constituents of House District 61b.

These tough times call for proven effective and experienced leadership. Josh works hard every day to help build a better tomorrow for Minnesota workers. The Laborers Union and its members will work just as hard to help elect Josh Bassais to House District 61b.

To learn more about Josh and his campaign and to get involved in electing a Laborer to the State House, check out these links:

On Facebook: Josh Bassais for State House 61B

On the Web: www.Joshfor61B.org

The Laborers District Council is made up of seven local unions representing over 10,500 Skilled Construction Craft Laborers living and working in Minnesota, North Dakota and North Western Wisconsin. 

Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis touts American Jobs Act with Laborers Members

On a windy Thursday afternoon, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis visited construction workers and business leaders at the 10^th Avenue Bridge in Minneapolis to discuss the American Jobs Act’s impact for Minnesota’s economy and the state’s workers. Also speaking at the event were Congresswoman Betty McCollum, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Kaylon Ashford, a young worker training for a job in construction.

The American Jobs Act will invest more than $600 million in the North Star State to fund highway and transit modernization projects — which could put roughly 7,500 Minnesotans back to work modernizing roads and bridges. In 2007, there were 116,000 people employed by Minnesota’s construction sector. Today, that number is down to 86,300.

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Impact of Construction Jobs in Minnesota

Policymakers need to start finding a way to get our economy moving again. The construction industry presents, in the words of corporate America, a large ROI (return-on-investment). Putting construction workers to work stimulates the economy not only by injecting wages into it and thereby increasing consumer demand, but it eases the burden on social welfare and unemployment systems.

To see the economic impact of the consrtruction industry, lets look at some facts. 

• In July 2011, construction employment in Minnesota totaled 83,800 people, decreases of 3% from July 2010 and 37% from February 2006 when the industry peaked in Minnesota.
• In 2010, the average pay for a Minnesota construction worker was $51,740; 10% more than all private sector employees in the state.
• Minnesota had 16,900 construction firms in 2009, of which 95% had fewer than 20 employees. 
• An additional $1 Billion in nonresidential construction spending would add $3.4 Billion to GDP, $1.1 Billion to personal earnings and create or sustain 28,500 jobs
  • 9,700 on site construction jobs
  • 4,600 indirect jobs from supplying construction materials and services
  • 14,300 induced jobs, created from construction workers nd suppliers spending their incomes

If politicians truly care about Minnesota's and America's small businesses and working families, stimulating the construction industry is a great way to start showing it, since the vast majority of construction firms in Minnesota and the United States are small businesses.

Statistics from: "The Economic Impact of Constructionin the Unites States and Minnesota," published by the AGC of America.

Build Minnesota so Minnesota Works Rally Update!

The Build Minnesota so Minnesota Works Rally was a great success. About 500 people gathered on the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis. With construction work on the Corps of Engineers Lock and Dam just down river, in view of the site of I-35W bridge collapse tragedy and standing on a former railroad bridge that had been converted to a pedestrian crossing, the setting was perfect to talk about putting people back to work by harnessing America's creativity to build a 21st Century Transportation system. We have linked below some pictures and video of the event. Thanks to everyone who attended. Stay tuned for more on how to help us create more family supporting jobs Building Minnesota.

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Stop Congress From Destroying More Construction Jobs

This week, members of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – begin fighting job-killing cuts in transportation investment proposed by House Republican leaders while also pressuring lawmakers to pass a Senate proposal that will invest in America’s roads and bridges and put men and women to work.

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Build Minnesota so Minnesota Works!

Laborers Union members and members of the community who support creating jobs by rebuilding our state's crumbling infrastructure are called to join us for a BUILD MINNESOTA SO MINNESOTA WORKS Rally. The rally takes place on the Historic Stone Arch Bridge in Downtown Minneapolis. Infrastructure projects past and present surround the bridge with the tragic I-35W bridge in the background and the Mississippi River Locks and Dams nearby. At the rally, Laborers Union General President Terry O'Sullivan will describe a vision of rebuilding the deteriorating infrastructure of Minnesota and America. We believe that improving roads, bridges, water infrasctructure and energy producing facilities is the key to kickstarting the American economy. A massive rebuilding effort would create new high quality jobs for American workers and spur economic development across the country.

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BlueGreen Alliance releases National Transportation Policy

"An overhaul of our nation's transportation system is long overdue. The system is broken, and broke - in addition to improving our infrastructure, we also need to create sustainable revenue sources to fund needed investments." That is how the last paragraph of the BlueGreen Alliance's new National Policy on Transportation ends. Along the way, the policy lays out six elements of what a comprehensive transportation policy should include:

1. Modernize Transportation Infrastructure and Make It More Efficient
2. Make Our Transportation Networks Greener
3. Support Flexibility for Transit Operating Assistance
4. Build Cleaner Cars and Trucks Here in America
5. Support Cleaner Ports and Freight
6. Create Quality U.S. Jobs in Transportation

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