Work & Money
Biden slams ‘extreme MAGA Republicans’ as Democrats launch drive to midterm election
President Joe Biden in a Thursday night speech to a crowd of party faithful promoted legislation passed by the Democratic Congress and attacked supporters of former President Donald Trump for defending rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. “Extreme MAGA Republicans just don’t threaten our personal, economic rights. They embrace political violence,” […]
Minnesota’s public defenders vote no confidence in agency head
The union representing Minnesota’s rank-and-file public defenders announced on Thursday an overwhelming vote of no confidence in the state’s Chief Public Defender Bill Ward, who oversees roughly 470 public defenders and 200 support staff. The symbolic vote comes just days before the Board of Public Defense is scheduled to vote on the reappointment of Ward […]
Hospitals allege nurses’ strike would be illegal; union says it won’t back down
Hours after the Minnesota Nurses Association announced 15,000 nurses would go on strike at hospitals across the Twin Cities and Duluth area, several health systems filed complaints with the National Labor Relations Board seeking to block the strike. A spokeswoman for St. Luke’s Duluth said the union has not given proper notice of their intent […]
15,000 Minnesota nurses to walk off job in historic strike over wages and staffing levels
After months of stalled negotiations, some 15,000 union nurses across more than a dozen hospitals will strike for three days later this month in what the union believes will be the largest private sector nurses’ strike in U.S. history. “Today is a somber day,” said Minnesota Nurses Association President Mary Turner, dressed in all black, […]
U of M staff picket for higher wages on move-in day
University of Minnesota students and parents arriving on campus for move-in day on Tuesday were met by a picket line of custodians, dining staff, mechanics and groundskeepers chanting against the university’s “poverty wages.” The workers held the informational picket as negotiations have stalled between the university and Teamsters Local 320, which represents 1,500 U of […]
Workers at Minneapolis Starbucks strike on first day of pumpkin spice season
Workers at a south Minneapolis Starbucks went on strike for the second time on Tuesday, hitting the company during one of its most important days of the year: the first day of pumpkin spice latte season. “Pumpkin spice is a hallmark of Starbucks, and it’s a really big day for them,” said Emily Mahoney, a […]
What happens when federal relief funding for Minneapolis and other cities runs out?
The city of Minneapolis will use $81 million in federal pandemic relief to balance its budget over the next two years, and hopes revenue stabilizes to avoid a fiscal cliff when the federal money ends in 2025.
Biden plan could zero out student debt for at least one third of Minnesota borrowers
The Biden administration’s plan to forgive up to $20,000 of an individual’s federal student loan debt could completely eliminate the balances of 30 to 50% of Minnesota borrowers, according to federal data. Figures from the Department of Education show that about 781,000 Minnesotans have student loan balances with the federal government. About 228,000 have balances […]
She Didn’t Know She Still Owed Money to Her Utility. Then 25% of Her Paycheck Was Gone.
This story was originally published by ProPublica. Last November, Kristal Dailey looked at her weekly paycheck and realized about $150 was missing, a quarter of her take-home earnings from a factory just outside Detroit, where she makes just over $18 an hour. “I’m like, ‘What the heck is this from?’” she said. Dailey immediately reached […]
Farm bill season arrives: What’s the outlook for 2023?
WASHINGTON — Over the course of the next year, lawmakers on the U.S. House and Senate Agriculture committees will draft a new federal farm bill that will shape food, farm, conservation and nutrition programs across the country for the next five years. The omnibus law that began 90 years ago as crop supports now has […]
Starbucks workers vote to unionize Edina store, 5th in Minnesota
Starbucks workers at an Edina store voted 9-0 to unionize, becoming the fifth store in Minnesota to do so. The election at the Edina store — at 5122 Edina Industrial Blvd. — is the latest success in a wave of unionization drives across the country, with workers at more than 220 Starbucks stores voting to […]
With number of essential workers up, hazard pay is down
When the divided Minnesota Legislature and Gov. Tim Walz came to a $500 milion agreement on compensating frontline workers for putting their health at risk during the pandemic, they estimated that 667,000 eligibible workers would apply. That meant each worker — among them child care workers, prison guards, meat processors, etc. — would receive $750. […]