Afscme

House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher is getting her second union endorsement for governor in as many days (and her third so far), this one from the 43,000-member Greater Minnesota American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 65, Minnesota Public Radio’s Polinaut reports.

State Sen. Tarryl Clark has picked up another endorsement from organized labor for her congressional bid. Yesterday, Teamsters Joint Council 32 officially gave the St. Cloud Democrat the nod in her challenge to 6th district incumbent Rep. Michele Bachmann. Joint Council 32 has 62,000 members, many in Bachmann’s district.

Reaction to Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s Tuesday press conference announcing his unallotment of nearly $2.7 billion from the state budget has been swift and, at times, scathing.

I learned about this, appropriately, on Facebook: Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak’s face appears on the front of this month’s Governing magazine. Stifle that yawn — for public officials, it’s the equivalent of getting your picture on the cover of Rolling Stone.

When University of Minnesota workers ended their strike last week, the school came out victorious. Even so, union officials and state legislators are looking at ways to make the U more accountable to its lower-income workers.

Hundreds of clerical, technical and health care workers walked off the job Sept. 5 after their union turned down the [...]

“Union-busting.” An “insulting settlement.” Even some tears. The UpTake’s Noah Kunin and Charles Gearin captured reactions by members of the University of Minnesota’s AFSCME union as they found out about a settlement with management. The responses ranged from surprise to anger, and a prediction from one member that the settlement — which will send workers [...]

Even though it hurts them financially, University of Minnesota workers Jesse Gamble and Andy Carhert said Monday the strike against their employer is a matter of principle.

“Financially, I’m not doing well. I’m borrowing money from friends,” said Carhert, who, like Gamble, is a clerical worker at the University’s Minnesota Population Center. “Still, I’m feeling good [...]

Tom Elko, a member of AFSCME 3800 and author of Sky Blue Waters, offers a unique videoblog view from the picket line at the University of Minnesota, where clerical, technical and health care workers have been on strike for a week. He highlights morale-boosting support from Barack Obama (who sent a letter of encouragement) and [...]

I voted for Lori Swanson in last year’s primary for attorney general, and later in the general election.  I thought she represented new blood, something the DFL perennially lacks.  More than that, I was impressed by her firm grasp of what was going on in the office of the attorney general.  In her previous job [...]