Work & Money
Democrats in Congress press Biden to extend pause on student loans
WASHINGTON — More than 100 congressional Democrats — including Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith and Rep. Ilhan Omar — are urging the White House to extend the pause on student loan repayment beyond the Aug. 31 deadline. In a Thursday letter to President Joe Biden and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, U.S. Senate and House Democrats […]
General Mills boosts D.C. lobbying presence as Congress reviews food policy
Editor’s note: This story is part of an occasional series looking at Minnesota companies’ lobbying presence in Washington. Previous editions have included 3M and Cargill. WASHINGTON — The Minnesota-based food manufacturing giant best known for its sugary cereals and snacks is slowly expanding its lobbying operation in the nation’s capital as a Democratic-led Congress reviews […]
U.S. Senate Democrats dive into details of surprise 725-page reconciliation bill
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden took a preliminary victory lap Thursday to celebrate Democrats striking a surprise deal on a sweeping legislative package that renewed hopes of historic action on the party’s health care, tax and climate goals. But just down Pennsylvania Avenue, Senate Democrats said they needed to read through the bill text to […]
Tyson asks U.S. Supreme Court to shield it from COVID-19 lawsuits in Iowa courts
Faced with court rulings that say a Trump administration directive doesn’t protect Tyson Foods from liability caused by workers’ deaths due to COVID-19, the food giant is now asking the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on the matter. Arguing that recent court rulings against the company will have “drastic consequences for the next national […]
Nurses vote to get rid of union at Mayo Clinic’s Mankato hospital
Nurses at the Mayo Clinic’s Mankato hospital voted 213 to 181 to decertify their union on Monday in a significant blow to Minnesota’s powerful nurses’ union, and a victory for anti-union activists who have focused their efforts on health care workers. The decision to sever ties with the Minnesota Nurses Association, which represents about 22,000 […]
Appellate court sides with unions in dispute over refund of fees
By winning the case, the unions prevented a wave of nonunion workers seeking refunds for pre-Janus fair share fees, which could have put a strain on public sector union finances.
Nurses vote on getting rid of union at Mayo Clinic’s Mankato hospital
MANKATO — Five-hundred nurses at the Mayo Clinic’s Mankato hospital will decide on Monday whether or not to get rid of their union after more than seven decades. If the nurses vote to dissolve the union, they would deliver one of the most significant blows in recent memory to the powerful Minnesota Nurses Association and […]
More than 400 Planned Parenthood workers unionize across five states
Frontline health care workers at Planned Parenthood North Central States voted overwhelmingly to unionize, they announced Thursday, with 90% of ballots cast in favor of a union. “This victory is a huge turning point for us and reproductive health care workers everywhere. Because it’s us who actually makes these clinics run,” said Sage Shemroske, a […]
Walz celebrates expansion of Waconia hemp business
WACONIA — As a high school teacher and football coach not that long ago, Gov. Tim Walz was no doubt on the lookout for students under the sway of mind-altering substances. As governor in the middle of a reelection campaign, Walz on Monday found himself at Hemp Acres, now one of the largest cannabis processing facilities […]
As aging farmers retire, lawmakers explore how to boost beginning producers
WASHINGTON — More than half of American farmers will reach retirement age in the next 10 years, but the steep price of entry to start a farm, along with rising input costs and volatile markets, make it tough for young and beginning farmers to take their places. “Farming is inherently a risky business, but […]
U.S. inflation hits a 40-year high in June, but Biden points to decreasing gas prices
WASHINGTON — U.S. inflation reached a 40-year high for June as prices for gas, food and rent increased, according to the latest Consumer Price Index from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Wednesday. Consumer prices for all items increased 9.1% for the 12 months ending in June compared to last year, the biggest year-to-year increase […]
Allina ordered to pay $400,000 to union, faces many more anti-labor complaints
The union representing Allina’s maintenance and service staff won a major victory this month when an arbitrator ruled the health care system must pay about $400,000 in restitution for halting the collection of union dues after their labor contract expired. SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa says Allina sought to kneecap the union during a critical […]