Work & Money
Mayo Clinic exemption leads Minnesota lawmakers to rethink nurse staffing bill
A nurse staffing bill that seemed destined to become law just less than three weeks ago, is now in jeopardy in the final hours of session. The Minnesota Senate on Monday afternoon was trying to hammer out a last-minute compromise on a bill that aims to increase nurse staffing levels. The bill, which has faced […]
Minnesota Legislature approves minimum wage for Uber and Lyft drivers
The Minnesota Senate passed a bill on Sunday that would set minimum pay rates for Uber and Lyft drivers and establish greater protections against wrongful termination – or “deactivation.” “Minnesota has long been a leader in protecting workers from being exploited and taken advantage of, but in the area of (transportation network companies) Minnesota is lagging […]
Minnesota to allow all undocumented residents to enroll in MinnesotaCare
Undocumented residents in Minnesota will be eligible to enroll in the state’s publicly subsidized insurance program for low-income people, known as MinnesotaCare, under a budget agreement released on Friday night. The proposal, which is expected to become law, will expand public health insurance access to the more than 40,000 undocumented people estimated to live in […]
GOP’s desired work requirements for federal aid would kick roughly 21M from anti-poverty programs
Congressional Republicans’ efforts to slash federal spending by tying work requirements to Medicaid and SNAP would have far-reaching consequences for people with mental health issues, chronic health problems, and some people with disabilities if enacted, policy experts on anti-poverty programs say. They say the work requirements as laid out by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s “Limit, […]
Mayo Clinic wins full exemption from nurse staffing bill in agreement with state leaders
State lawmakers say they will exempt Mayo Clinic from a bill aimed at increasing nurse staffing levels, ending a two-week standoff that began when the hospital sent an email to the governor’s office threatening to move billions of dollars in future investments out of state if the bill was not gutted. All of Mayo Clinic’s […]
Minnesota lawmakers approve 9 major worker-friendly changes
Minnesota Democrats say a sweeping labor bill they passed on Tuesday could be the most significant worker protection bill in state history. “This bill is a big damn deal,” said Sen. Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, during a news conference. The labor bill (SF3035) includes a Democratic wish list years in the making that will affect […]
In bankruptcy’s wake, a Minnesota meatpacking plant’s visa workers face an uncertain future
Days after HyLife Foods filed its bankruptcy paperwork, workers anxiously awaited answers from management about its plans for the pork processing plant. The employees gathered in the plant’s cafeteria before their shifts on May 1 to listen to an executive read a list of what appeared to be frequently asked questions and corresponding answers about […]
Uber warns customers and drivers that it may leave Minnesota over proposed legislation
Uber is making a last-ditch effort to kill legislation on its way to becoming law in Minnesota, which the company says could cause it to shut down operations in the state completely. In emails to drivers and customers on Monday night, Uber said the legislation would threaten passengers’ safety, drivers’ earning potential and the ability […]
Second group of workers at Mayo’s Mankato hospital file petition to get rid of union
A second group of health care workers at Mayo Clinic’s Mankato hospital is trying to decertify their union with the help of the National Right to Work Foundation, a nonprofit anti-union advocacy group. Less than a year ago, nurses at the hospital voted to get rid of their union after more than seven decades. That […]
The U.S. is undergoing its worst bird flu outbreak ever. Is a poultry vaccine the answer?
WASHINGTON — The deadliest outbreak of bird flu in U.S. history is prompting growing concern in Congress, and Department of Agriculture researchers are awaiting the preliminary results of four trials of vaccines for poultry. Some lawmakers are warming to the idea of a vaccination campaign, long considered a fringe idea due to the cost and […]
Fast federal response to pandemic key to US economic recovery, economists say
The public health emergency declaration ended on Thursday, and with it some of the policies that helped the U.S. recover from the many of the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Although COVID-19 is still a public health threat, the national economic crisis it created has subsided with the U.S. economy back to its pre-pandemic […]
Senate committee sends Uber and Lyft regulations to floor without recommendation
The Senate judiciary committee voted to send a bill regulating Uber and Lyft to the floor on Wednesday night — with the caveat that they are not recommending its passage. Committee Chair Ron Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park, said he’s not sure the bill should become law, or that he would vote for it when it reaches […]