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Firefighters are the unhappiest St. Paul employees — and other labor news
Take a seat in the Break Room, our weekly round-up of labor news in Minnesota and beyond. This week: poor morale in the St. Paul Fire Department; trucking company fined $621,600 following worker death; Minnesota minimum wage to rise to $11.13 per hour; Americans’ support for unions near all-time high; and Australia legalizes ignoring your […]
Minnesota minimum wage to rise to $11.13 per hour, a 26% increase for some
Minimum wage workers in Minnesota will get the biggest pay bump in years in 2025 as a result of Democratic lawmakers eliminating the state’s wage tiers and raising the limit on inflation adjustments. The state currently has two hourly minimum wages: $10.85 for workers at large businesses (with revenues greater than $500,000) and $8.85 for […]
Inflation Reduction Act creates thousands of union jobs in Minnesota — and other labor news
Take a seat in the Break Room, our weekly round-up of labor news in Minnesota and beyond. This week: the Inflation Reduction Act’s impact on jobs two years on; what to make of the jobs numbers revision; Minnesota is No. 1 state for nurses; Kim’s will shutter shortly after union vote; and Canadian railway workers […]
St. Paul on the hook for $1.8 million electric fire truck after federal funding fell through
Minnesota’s first electric fire truck is expected to be ready for its first run in St. Paul next month, a shining $1.8 million rig that city leaders herald as a symbol of their efforts to protect the environment and workers’ health. “We’re excited to be the first in the state to invest in this state-of-the-art […]
Minnesota has highest median wage in Midwest — and other labor news
Take a seat in the Break Room, our weekly round-up of labor news in Minnesota and beyond. This week: Minnesota’s strong labor market; United Steelworkers support new studies for stalled mine; Sun Country flight attendants authorize strike; Harris adopts Trump’s no-tax-on-tips idea; Walz speaks at AFSCME convention; and Trump applauds firing striking workers, which is […]
What Minnesota primary voters are saying at the polls
Minnesotans are energized by the fall election after Vice President Kamala Harris selected Gov. Tim Walz to be her running mate, but Tuesday’s primary election is turning out to be a relatively sleepy affair. Republicans need to settle on a U.S. Senate candidate and vote in what could be a couple of close U.S. House […]
Which Minnesota companies have the largest pay inequality — and other labor news
Take a seat in the Break Room, our weekly round-up of labor news in Minnesota and beyond. This week: pay inequality at Minnesota’s public companies; labor leaders celebrate Walz pick; Minnesota had relatively low unemployment insurance fraud; and transgender school librarian sues Catholic school alleging discrimination. Among Minnesota’s publicly traded companies, Target, C.H. Robinson, Best […]
Here’s what Tim Walz has done as governor of Minnesota
Democrats have swiftly fallen for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s Midwest dad persona, sharing videos of him working on a car, going on a rollercoaster with daughter Hope at the State Fair, signing a bill renaming a street in Prince’s honor in purple ink. But he’s also got a long record as governor. Walz’s first term […]
Labor likes Gov. Tim Walz for vice president — and other labor news
Take a seat in the Break Room, our weekly round-up of labor news in Minnesota and beyond. This week: Labor likes Walz for vice president; rising unemployment signals possible recession; Ramsey County goes non-union; undocumented workers pay $222 million in state and local taxes in Minnesota; and unions post record-high pay increases in new contracts […]
Former Democratic operative settles $1.2 million debt with South Dakota cannabis growers
Former Minnesota DFL political operative Will Hailer paid $1.2 million to settle a lawsuit brought by two South Dakota cannabis companies and their investors accusing him of fraud. The case ends a two-year saga that began when Hailer approached 605 Cannabis founder Ned Horsted with an attractive business opportunity for him and the two founders […]
Valvoline agrees to drop noncompete agreements in settlement with 6 state attorneys general
Oil change chain Valvoline agreed to drop noncompete agreements with hourly workers as part of a settlement agreement with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and a coalition of five other state attorneys general. Valvoline required its hourly workers to sign noncompete agreements that barred them from performing oil changes for another company within 100 miles […]
Study: Undocumented immigrants paid $222 million in Minnesota taxes in 2022
Undocumented workers contributed $97 billion in federal, state and local taxes in 2022, according to a study released on Tuesday by the left-leaning Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. In Minnesota, undocumented immigrants contributed nearly $222 million in state and local taxes in 2022. The report’s authors estimate these workers’ tax contributions would grow to […]