Work & Money
Amazon workers plan Prime Day protest at Shakopee warehouse over COVID-19 concerns
Some workers at Amazon’s Shakopee warehouse plan to hold a protest on Wednesday — during the retail giant’s “Prime Day” sales event — for failing to adequately protect them from COVID-19 and allegedly retaliating against employees who’ve raised concerns. Since March, some 225 of Amazon’s workers in Shakopee have tested positive for the coronavirus, according […]
Minneapolis event will help people apply for rental assistance, health care
Hennepin County will host an in-person event in south Minneapolis on Tuesday to help people apply for rental assistance, health care and other resources as the economy struggles to recover amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. People can receive help applying for government assistance from 12:30-4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at Hennepin County’s Office of […]
Hennepin County launches fund to spur equitable redevelopment from riots
Hennepin County will create a $10 million fund to help spur redevelopment of areas destroyed by riots following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May. Without state or federal aid to help rebuild, many people whose businesses were damaged this summer may have no other choice but to sell rather than rebuild. […]
Hennepin County to purchase two properties for homeless people
Hennepin County will spend $3.5 million in federal COVID-19 relief aid to buy two properties for people experiencing homelessness: a 35-room motel in southwest Minneapolis and a 23-room former treatment facility just south of downtown. The Board voted 6-0 on Tuesday to make the purchases with some of the $220 million the county received through […]
Workers at Classical MPR and The Current announce intent to unionize
Employees of Minnesota Public Radio’s classical music station and The Current, its contemporary music station, announced their intent to form a union on Thursday, citing a need for more equitable pay, greater staff diversity and more consistent and transparent discipline. The announcement comes during a week that has already roiled one of the largest nonprofits […]
Metro Transit workers authorize strike after rejecting “final offer” on one-year contract
Metro Transit bus drivers, light rail operators, mechanics and cleaners voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike on Wednesday after workers rejected the year-long contract proposed by the Metropolitan Council, which operates the transit service. The vote came after the Metropolitan Council presented workers with a “final offer” in August, forcing the Amalgamated Transit Union Local […]
More than 231,000 Minnesotans were jobless in August
Minnesota’s unemployment rate was 7.4% in August, a decline of 0.2% from July as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to stress businesses and workers. That means 231,599 Minnesotans were jobless in August, according to data released Thursday by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. People of color are still most affected by the economic […]
Why the eviction moratorium is so important for the Minnesota economy
Gov. Tim Walz has continued to extend a ban on evictions resulting from non-payment. The most recent executive order, which became effective August 4th, prohibits evictions except in cases in which tenants have caused significant damage to the property or are performing illegal activities, or if the owner needs the property for personal or family […]
Unrest ruined their businesses, rebuilding may displace them for good
First came the pandemic that forced many of the small restaurants in St. Paul’s Midway Shopping Center to temporarily close. Then, as many were preparing to open again come June, the unrest following the police killing of George Floyd made its way to the Midway neighborhood, causing damage to the strip mall that many of […]
Cure cancer while achieving financial success! Jason Lewis used radio show to sell nutritional supplements via a multilevel marketing company.
Back when he still had a radio show, U.S. Senate candidate Jason Lewis sold Youngevity nutritional supplements that the multi-level marketing company claims fight conditions such as cancer, autism and diabetes. Lewis’s supplement sales career is drawing new scrutiny as he enters the homestretch in his race for the U.S. Senate against Democratic Sen. Tina […]
Allina health care workers postpone strike following threat of unusual legal challenge
Around 200 health care workers at two Allina hospitals will postpone a two-day strike after the nonprofit medical provider threatened legal action for violating what the union calls an “arcane” labor rule. Allina Health told workers they would be breaking federal labor laws by picketing on September 14 and 15 because they did not provide […]
Memo to Washington: We need another COVID-19 relief bill — now
What are they waiting for? Back in the spring, federal policymakers acted quickly to address the emerging pandemic and economic disruption. Among various measures taken, they expanded unemployment insurance to respond to the record number of people out of work. They boosted federal dollars for affordable health care through Medicaid, and provided some modest funding […]