In This Issue

2 Social Securityis on the ballotin 2020

3 St. Paul studentsneed support,educators say

4 Allina threatenslawsuit, workerspostpone strike

5 Stagehandsmarch for reliefduring crisis

124th Year, No. 4, Issue 5441 For union homes in Ramsey, Dakota, Washington and Chisago counties October 2020

Find a list of labor-endorsed candidates statewide at www.mnaflcio.org

Union approvalratings soar to65%, highestpoint since ‘03Labor unions’ approval rat-

ing among Americans contin-ues to rise, according to pollingresults released by Gallup inadvance of Labor Day 2020.The survey, conducted from

July 30 to Aug. 12, found 65% ofAmericans approve of unions,the highest rating since 2003.Public support for labor unionshas been generally rising,Gallup noted, since hitting itslowest point of 48% in 2009,during the Great Recession.Among Democrats, 83%

approve of unions. Approvalamong Republicans was 45%,among independents 64%.Unions’ favorability held

strong despite the economic cri-sis caused by the COVID-19pandemic. Gallup noted thatunions’ popularity has tendedto ebb and flow with the nation’seconomic fortunes. The lowestratings to date have beenrecorded during particularlyweak economic times, includ-ing the Great Recession.Pollsters speculated the dif-

ference now might be unions’focus on issues outside of theeconomy, like health, safety, jobsecurity and racial justice. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka,the nation’s top-ranking laborleader, called that a tribute to “theresilience of our movement.” “Union members have

answered the call of COVID-19,”he said. “Every day and in everyway, we’ve served, we’ve sacri-ficed, we’ve healed... We’ve hon-ored the country we love, thecountry unions built.”

www.stpaulunions.orgConnecting union members inRamsey, Washington, Dakota

and Chisago counties.

By Michael MooreUnion Advocate editorCredit Surly for this much:

the union-busting craft brewerinspired one raucous LaborDay-weekend rally, drawingnearly 200 people to a protestoutside its destination beerhall in Minneapolis.Workers at the gleaming,

new complex in Prospect Parkwent public with their plans tounionize Aug. 31. Two dayslater, they received layoffnotices, and Surly owner Omar

Ansari, citing COVID-19restrictions on restaurants andbars, announced the beer hallwould close indefinitely Nov. 2.But on the Sunday before

Labor Day, workers like MeganCaswell were in the streets,serving Ansari with notice thatthey aren’t going away quietly,even if the beer hall is.“We’re not done here,” the

bartender said. “We’re stillfighting.”Caswell and her co-workers

aren’t fighting alone.

UNITE HERE Local 17, theunion representing more than6,000 Twin Cities hospitalityworkers, has pledged legalaction against Surly. And thepublic demonstration followed

Workers tap community support, putSurly on notice: ‘We’re not done here’

FURIOUS, BUT FIGHTING ON

Workers at Surly’s Minneapolis beer hall protest with supporters from the community, calling out thebrewer for union-busting. The protest, which attracted members of several local unions, took place theday before Labor Day. Union Advocate photos

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 6)

2 • THE UNION ADVOCATE • OCTOBER 2020

Go Figure

Partner Voices: Buddy Robinson

$42,000Earnings lost by the average

U.S. worker in 2018 as a resultof widening income inequality

$92,000What the average worker’s

annual income would have beenin 2018 if wages had kept pace

with economic growth since 1975

$630,000What the average member of the

top 1% would have earned in2018, instead of $1.4 million

Source: “Trends in Income From 1975 to 2018,”published last month by the RAND Corporation

You wouldn’t know it from watching the news, butSocial Security’s future is on the ballot in 2020. If PresidentTrump is re-elected, it’s clear that he will try to greatlyweaken and even eliminate Social Security. That’s despitehis repeated – but hollow – claims to protect it.This should not come as a surprise. When he first ran for

president, as a Reform Party candidate in 2000, Trump said hewanted to privatize Social Security, calling it a “Ponzischeme.” He wanted to eliminate guaranteed benefits andhave people gamble on the stock market instead. He also pro-moted raising the age requirement for full benefits up to 70.After starting to serve as president in 2017, Trump’s

budget proposals each year have sought large cuts in fund-ing for Social Security disability. His latest one, for fiscalyear 2021, seeks to cut $75 billion over 10 years from pro-grams that benefit people with disabilities (over half ofwhom are 55 or older). This includes $10 billion in SocialSecurity Disability cuts, plus plans to reduce the number ofpeople enrolled by about 5 percent. That would be accom-plished with harsher work rules that determine who canqualify. Another cut is to lower the initial retroactive benefitthat people get when they first go on Social SecurityDisability. It currently is 12 months retroactive, but Trumpwants to reduce it to six months.His budgets have also included cuts for Social Security’s

administrative expenses. That translates into fewer offices,shorter hours, fewer staff and longer times to process appli-cations to get on Social Security, or even to get answers tosimple questions.Don’t be fooled by Trump’s focus on Social Security just

for people with disabilities. People on regular retirementSocial Security better worry, too. Trump’s 2021 budget pro-posal talks about a need to “reduce the rate of increase” inSocial Security payments. That sounds like code words forreducing the annual Cost Of Living Adjustment, increasingthe age to start getting benefits, reducing the initial benefitformula – or maybe all of the above.When you think about the COVID-19 pandemic and its

economic effect on families and workers, the importance ofSocial Security becomes all the more apparent. The reces-sion that accompanies our pandemic in the U.S., worsenedby Trump’s botched response, will depress future SocialSecurity benefits for an estimated 4 million Americans whobecome eligible in 2022, because of the severe drop in aver-

age wages nationally. According to a study by the Center forAmerican Progress, their benefits will be about $1,428 peryear lower than if the pandemic had never happened.Trump has done something with Social Security in light

of the pandemic: He is allowing businesses to forego col-lecting their employees’ Social Security payroll taxes fromSeptember through December. After that, those missingtaxes would have to be collected and paid. Not surprisingly,few businesses are choosing to follow this option. To get afour-month vacation from the payroll taxes, only to have topay them back, doesn’t make any sense.Trump has said that, if re-elected, he will consider doing

away with the payroll tax altogether. If that were to occur,and no other revenue source were found to replace it, thenwe already know the result. Social Security’s chief actuaryhas testified that if this happens, all Social Security disabili-ty benefits will cease in mid-2021, and all Social Securityretirement benefits will cease in mid-2023.What was he thinking? Despite his coyness, we can see

what Trump really wants: his long-held dream of destroy-ing the current Social Security system and turning it into aprivatized gamble. Andrew Biggs, who helped writePresident George W. Bush’s ill-fated privatization proposal,explained recently that Trump’s ideas can lead to changingSocial Security into two parts: a small, income-tax-fundedbenefit for only the poorest, and private investmentaccounts for everyone else. So, Trump really looks at thepandemic as a way to further his goal of wrecking and pri-vatizing Social Security. We all need to be seriously con-cerned – and vote accordingly this November.– Buddy Robinson is former staff director of the Minnesota

Citizens Federation Northeast. In recent years, he has workedwith the Minnesota State Council of Retirees, AFL-CIO, onSocial Security and other issues.

President Trump is taking aim at Social Security“Despite his coyness, wecan see what Trump reallywants: his long-held dreamof turning Social Securityinto a privatized gamble.”

– Buddy Robinson

Editor’s Note: “Voices” is a forum for opinions from across the labor movement. It appears regularly in The Advocate. We encourage readers torespond to our columnists’ opinions. To write a letter to the editor, see the upper-righthand corner of this page. To inquire about contributing to

“Voices,” call 651-222-3787, extension 112. This column does not reflect the position of the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation or its assemblies.

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Letters

Official publication of the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO353 W. 7th St. #201, St. Paul, MN 55102.

Phone 651-222-3787 x112; fax 651-293-1989;e-mail: mmoore@stpaulunions.org

Editor: Michael Moore

ST. PAUL REGIONAL LABOR FEDERATIONPhone: 651-222-3787 Fax: 651-293-1989

Website: www.stpaulunions.org

Kera Peterson, PresidentPerry Schmidt, Executive Vice PresidentBernadine Engeldorf, Secretary-TreasurerJennifer Guertin, Sergeant-At-Arms

Theresa St. Aoro, V.P. - Ramsey CountyBrian Beedle,V.P. - Washing ton CountyConnie Beissel,V.P. - Dakota CountyMichael Madden, V.P. - Chisago County

Trustees: Jamie McNamara, Don Mullin,Paul Slattery

Executive Board Members At Large: MikeDreyer, Tom Edwards, Gus Froemke, KellyGibbons, Wade Luneberg, Dorothy Maki-Green, Jamie McNamara, Mona Meyer,Carrie Robles, Mary Sansom, Paul Slattery,Howard Terry, Rick Varco

MN AFL-CIO General Board GeographicalRepresentatives: Nick Faber, Ken Gorman,Jennifer Guertin, Mike Hoppe, SuzanneMarkham-Kocurek, Tom McCarthy,Jennifer Michelson, Bob Ryan, ScottSeath, Leah Vandassor, Lisa Weed

Committee on Political Education: CraigAngrimson, Bob DeRoy, Martin Hoerth,Mark Krey, Travis Lohmann, Bob Mayer, RodNaseth, Josh Wise

State AFL-CIO Retirees Rep: Gerald Beedle

Office staff: Colleen Nocerini

AFL-CIO COMMUNITY SERVICESPhone: 651-222-3787 Fax: 651-293-1989

Website: www.stpaulunions.org/lsrc

Lynne Larkin-Wright, Liaison

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Next news deadline: Friday, Oct. 16

Remaining publication dates in 2020: Oct. 23, Dec. 18.

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Member International LaborCommunications Association.

OCTOBER 2020 • THE UNION ADVOCATE • 3Letters

President Joe BidenVice President Kamala Harris

U.S. Senator Tina Smith

U.S. House of RepresentativesAngie Craig, 2nd DistrictBetty McCollum, 4th DistrictTawnja Zahradka, 6th District

Minnesota SenateDistrict 32: Joshua FikeDistrict 38: Justin StofferahnDistrict 39: Josiah HillDistrict 41: Mary Kunesh-PodeinDistrict 42: Jason IsaacsonDistrict 43: Charles WigerDistrict 51: Jim CarlsonDistrict 52: Matt KleinDistrict 53: Susan KentDistrict 54: Karla BighamDistrict 56: Lindsey PortDistrict 57: Greg ClausenDistrict 58: Matt LittleDistrict 64: Erin MurphyDistrict 65: Sandy PappasDistrict 66: John MartyDistrict 67: Foung Hawj

Minnesota HouseDistrict 32B: Katie MalchowDistrict 38A: Kris Fredrick

District 38B: Ami WazlawikDistrict 39B: Shelly ChristensenDistrict 41A: Connie BernardyDistrict 41B: Sandra FeistDistrict 42A: Kelly MollerDistrict 42B: Jamie Becker-FinnDistrict 43A: Peter FischerDistrict 51A: Sandra MasinDistrict 51B: Liz ReyerDistrict 52A: Rick HansenDistrict 52B: Ruth RichardsonDistrict 53A: Tou XiongDistrict 53B: Steve SandellDistrict 54A: Anne ClaflinDistrict 54B: Kelsey WaitsDistrict 56A: Jessica HansonDistrict 56B: Kaela BergDistrict 57A: Robert Bierman

District 57B: John HuotDistrict 58A: Erin PreeseDistrict 58B: Sara WolfDistrict 64A: Kaohly HerDistrict 64B: Dave PintoDistrict 65A: Rena MoranDistrict 65B: Carlos MarianiDistrict 66A: Alice HausmanDistrict 67A: John ThompsonDistrict 67B: Jay Xiong

Ramsey County CommissionerDistrict 1: Nicole FrethemDistrict 2: Mary Jo McGuireDistrict 7: Victoria Reinhardt

Chisago County CommissionerDistrict 2: Rick GreeneDistrict 3: Katie Werman RocheDistrict 5: Mike Robinson

Dakota County CommissionerDistrict 3: Laurie HalversonDistrict 4: Joe AtkinsDistrict 7: Mary Hamann-Roland

North BranchMayor: Jim SwensonCity Council: Amanda Darwin

West Saint PaulCity Council Ward 2: Robyn Gulley

General Election: November 3, 2020

LABOR ENDORSED: EAST METROLabor-endorsed candidates share our values as union members, like making work pay and supporting our freedom to join together

Calling on City to act in support of students

Dear Mayor Carter and City Council,On Aug. 5, the SPPS Board of

Education and Superintendent JoeGothard made the decision to beginthe school year in distance learning.As educators, we believe this is thebest option to keep our students,families and coworkers as safe aspossible at this time. In making this courageous deci-

sion, we also recognize that many ofour students and families will face seri-ous challenges as they navigate caringfor their children at home while pro-viding basic needs for their house-holds. As our public schools havebecome the last social safety net, manyfamilies will look to us for solutions. Wecannot, and should not, take on thisfight for necessary resources alone. TheCity of St. Paul must prioritize theneeds of families in this critical time.As we start the school year, one of

the biggest barriers our families faceis access to reliable high-speed inter-net. This past spring, many of our stu-dents struggled to complete assign-ments using their phone, often goingover data plans and resulting in costsfamilies could not easily afford. Ourdistrict purchased hot spots, attempt-ing to fill the needs of students, butthey often were unreliable and cameat a high cost to a school district that isalready pushed to the limit financially.SPPS, and the city more broadly,

are already burdened by the conse-quences of generations of disinvest-ment and a legacy of policies rooted inracism. Decades of unfunded education

mandates have required residents tobear the cost of educating our childrenby voluntarily increasing our taxes. We cannot wait any longer to

address the urgent needs of our com-munities.The health and economic effects

of this pandemic have made itimpossible for us to ignore the fun-damental inequities in our city,schools and communities. A returnto normal will not be possible forsome time, if ever, and for our Blackand Indigenous communities andother communities of color, “normal”represents a state of unacceptableinequity. We, as a community, have aprofound moral decision ahead of us.Therefore, we’re calling on the St.

Paul City Council to work with ourschool district and state legislators tosecure free, reliable high-speed inter-net for the City of St. Paul.Our students can’t wait. Our fami-

lies can’t wait. Our city can’t wait.– This letter was signed by mem-

bers of the St. Paul Federation ofEducators’ Committee on PoliticalEducation and reprinted here, as anopen letter, at the union’s request.

The Minnesota AFL-CIO, the statefederation of more than 1,000 localunions representing more than300,000 working people, last monthannounced a $400,000 statewide digi-tal ad buy to encourage union mem-bers to support labor-endorsed candi-dates.The video and banner advertise-

ments have been running on socialmedia platforms, websites andstreaming video services since Sept. 4.The ads are directly targeted to reachhouseholds with likely union-mem-ber voters and will run until the pollsclose Nov. 3. The videos feature members from

a cross-section of Minnesota unionsspeaking about their union values andwhy voting for the labor-endorsedslate of candidates, led by VicePresident Joe Biden, is an expressionof those values.“Union members in communities

across Minnesota are about to beginvoting in one of the most consequen-tial elections in our state and nation’shistory,” Minnesota AFL-CIO Presi-dent Bill McCarthy said. “Our goal

with these ads is to cut through theonline noise and disinformation sounion members learn about the issuesand the candidates from their fellowworkers.”The Minnesota AFL-CIO’s ad buy

complements the federation’s broad,member-to-member voter outreach,worksite organizing and member-engagement programs as criticalcomponents of the Labor 2020 politi-cal program.Through Election Day, union vol-

unteers will be making more than halfa million calls in support of labor-endorsed candidates. Meanwhile, worksite organizing

and the member-engagement pro-gram have been training and mobiliz-ing hundreds of union activists tohave one-on-one conversations withtheir coworkers. Minnesota union members will

also receive more than 600,000 piecesof mail, including a sample ballothighlighting labor-endorsed candi-dates.“While COVID-19 has changed

some of our outreach tactics, it has

not changed our resolve to deliver theunion vote for our endorsed candi-dates up and down the ballot,”McCarthy said. “We are ready to helpbuild a more just and equitableMinnesota that puts workers first.”

On the web• View the Minnesota AFL-CIO’s

digital ads on the federation’s website,mnaflcio.org.• On Facebook or Twitter? Find,

like and follow the federation’saccounts by searching for @mnaflcio.

As election draws near, Minnesota AFL-CIO launches largest digitalad buy, member-engagement program in federation’s history

4 • THE UNION ADVOCATE • OCTOBER 2020

Just days after health care workers attwo metro-area hospitals announcedthey had overwhelmingly voted toauthorize a strike last month, AllinaHealth declared it would take legalaction in response to any picketing of itsfacilities, prompting union members topostpone their plans. Allina’s position – that the front-line,

essential health care workers cannotlegally picket while on strike – defiescommon sense and has no merit, unionleaders said.

“We have never seen an employeruse this tactic before,” SEIU HealthcareMinnesota President Jamie Gulley said.“It is stunning to see the lengths Allina isapparently willing to go to stop front-line health care workers from standingup for safe working conditions.”Still, Gulley said, union members

opted to postpone the 48-hour strike,originally scheduled to begin at 6 a.m.Sept. 14, out of an abundance of cau-tion. They pledged that a new strike datewould be announced soon.At issue in the labor dispute is

whether the hospital workers shouldmaintain pay and benefits if exposed toCOVID-19 and forced to quarantine.Over 200 SEIU members at St.

Francis Regional Medical Center inShakopee and Abbott NorthwesternHospital in Minneapolis voted toauthorize the unfair-labor-practicestrike after eight bargaining sessions

with Allina, starting in May, failed to pro-duce a fair agreement. The workers include lab technicians,

surgical techs, respiratory therapistsand diagnostics techs at St. Francis, andradiology technologists in numerousspecialty areas at Abbott Northwestern. Unlike their co-workers at the two

hospitals who have protections to keeptheir pay and benefits if forced to quar-antine, these workers have a temporaryagreement that maintains their pay andbenefits after an initial exposure, butforces them to use sick time if exposed asecond time, as some workers have overthe past months.“We work closely with patients dur-

ing hard times in their lives,” JudyGrack, a CT tech at Abbot, said. “We arethere when their family can’t be, and wework hard every day to help people gethealthy. I had to quarantine for possibleCOVID exposure, and now manage-ment has said I would need to use mysick time if I'm exposed again at work...We deserve better.” The strike vote, essential healthcare

workers said, was part of a push to getthe same health and safety benefits asother Allina workers, including pro-posed increases in paid time off andimprovements to their health insuranceand retirement plans. “All front-line health care workers

should get the pay and protections weneed to keep ourselves and our patients

safe,” Grack said. “We haven't gottenCOVID pay despite the many challengeswe’ve faced, and even before COVID weweren't getting what we deserved. We'rewilling to strike because the work we dois important, and Allina needs to showthey value their workers and patients.” Said Phil Goodmanson, a special

imaging technologist with 10 years ofexperience at St. Francis: “We are simplyasking for the things that other workersin our hospital already have so we can

continue to provide high-quality care forour community. We hope our willing-ness to take this step shows Allina we areserious about fighting for what is right.”Allina’s move to stifle worker voice

with a lawsuit, Gulley added, “wouldbe beyond the pale during normaltimes, but seeing how far they areseemingly willing to go to stop healthcare workers from standing up forwhat is right during a global pandem-ic is hard to fathom.”

SEIU members at two metro hospitals postpone strike after Allina threatens lawsuit

AFL-CIO launches web tool to help workers win safety protections on the job

From hospital workers to teachers, from meat processing to transitworkers, working people are putting their health on the line just by goingto work every day. As the pandemic ravages the country, the nation’s largestlabor federation, the AFL-CIO, has launched a new “Am I Safe at Work?”web tool to raise awareness of what a safe workplace should be. The web tool contains information to help workers identify key COVID-19

risks in their workplaces, tools for joining together with co-workers to fight forbetter safety protections, and guides for contacting a union to help negotiatesafer working conditions. Access it at aflcio.org/safe-at-work.“No one should be at risk of acquiring COVID-19 because they are work-

ing tirelessly to provide necessities for their family and our country,” AFL-CIOPresident Richard Trumka said. “Working people have organized to fight forsafer working conditions for decades, forming unions to win protections andsave lives. This web tool will help workers demand safer workplaces.”Since the beginning of the pandemic, the AFL-CIO has been at the fore-

front of fighting for safer workplaces across the country. The new website,organizers say, is a critical tool that empowers workers to fight for COVID-19 and other safety protections and prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

By Michael MooreUnion Advocate editorWhen stagehands do their job well, nobody

notices them. But last month members of Twin Cities-based

Local 13 of the International Alliance of TheatricalStage Employees (IATSE) put their jobs, which havedried up during the COVID-19 crisis, into the spot-light with a march and rally through downtownMinneapolis.

Dressed in black, about 100 local stagehands andother professionals from the live-events industrymarched Sept. 10 from the Orpheum Theater toPeavey Plaza, pushing the familiar black “roadcases” used to haul equipment for stage perform-ances.Along the way marchers passed several of the

city’s most iconic theaters and concert halls, whichhave gone dark since the pandemic reachedMinnesota in mid-March. The industry was amongthe first to close and, speakers at a socially-dis-tanced rally after the march said, will be one of thelast to return.“We are all standing by, ready to go back to work

when it’s safe to do so,” Mat Terwilliger, businessrepresentative for IATSE Local 13, said. “But we needsupport so the industry will still be here with theworkforce it needs to come back.”Far from a niche in the local economy, live events

in Minnesota are a $12.2-billion industry, accordingto a 2017 report. Since the shutdown began, 96% ofcompanies in the industry have cut staff, and 77% ofthe people who work in live events have lost theirentire income, according to a nationwide survey.Those in the industry who suddenly found

themselves out of work, including independentcontractors, had access to enhanced unemploy-ment benefits – the extra $600 per week – providedby the initial round of federal pandemic relief, theCARES Act. Many independent venues, meanwhile,took advantage of loans and grants through thePaycheck Protection Program (PPP) to stay afloat.But without another round of federal relief this

fall, workers and business owners warned, manystages and workers will have no choice but to aban-don the scene.They called on the Republican-controlled Senate

to pass the HEROES Act, which House Democrats

passed way back in May, to renew the enhancedunemployment and PPP programs. Industry advo-cates also pushed the RESTART and Save Our Stagesmeasures, which would partially bail out businessowners in hard-hit industries like theirs.Dayna Frank, CEO of First Avenue, acknowl-

edged that hopes for any additional federal reliefwere dimming, but she urged supporters to keep thespotlight on their industry’s fight.“What is life without concerts, without the the-

ater?” she asked. “I don’t know anyone who wants tolive in that world. That’s why we need to let everyoneknow that world is a real possibility. “Unless we make a loud enough noise, they’re

going to forget about us.”Learn more about the economic and cultural

impact of the live-events industry, and how to helpit survive the pandemic, at lecmn.org.

OCTOBER 2020 • THE UNION ADVOCATE • 5

Members of IATSE Local 13, which represents stagehands at theaters, concert halls and other live-performance venues across the Twin Cities, push their road casesthrough the streets of downtown Minneapolis, past many of the stages where they once worked, drawing attention to the crisis COVID-19 has created in their indus-try – and the dire need for federal relief. Union Advocate photos

Union stagehands roll through Minneapolis to amplify industry’s call for relief

Stagehands begin their road case march throughMinneapolis at the historic Orpheum Theater. Fromthere, they snaked through in the city’s theater dis-trict, past the Target Center and iconic First Avenue,en route to a masked-up rally at Peavey Plaza, adja-cent to Orchestra Hall.

6 • THE UNION ADVOCATE • OCTOBER 2020

a steady barrage of social-media back-lash to Surly’s announcement.Workers and supporters marched

along the public sidewalk borderingSurly’s makeshift beer garden, whichsteadily emptied as the protest swelled.Later, demonstrators shifted their route toextend through a crosswalk, halting carsand bicycles en route to the beer hall’sparking lot and turning dozens away.Labor Day weekend in the Twin

Cities usually brings working people ofall stripes together for picnics andparades, canceled this year due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. The scene at Surlyoffered a reminder of the history – andongoing struggle – behind the holiday.Members of several Twin Cities labor

unions jumped at the opportunity to cel-ebrate by showing some solidarity.“What better way to spend Labor

Day?” asked Kyle Karr, a member ofMinneapolis Fire Fighters Local 82,

marching in his bunker gear.Karr previously worked in the food-

service industry. “I’ve been in their posi-tion before, and they’re looking for thesame thing I’ve been granted as part ofa large, national union,” he said. “We’reall workers at the end of the day, and weall want the same things.”Members of the Minnesota Nurses

Association, United Food and Commer-cial Workers, Service Employees, St. PaulFederation of Educators and otherunions joined the rally, too.“Like any other workers, Surly work-

ers are fighting for a voice on the job, avoice in their safety and a voice in theirwelfare,” said Mat Terwilliger, businessagent for Stagehands Local 13. “I’m goingto support that anywhere it happens.”Ali Fuhrman, president of AFSCME

Local 2822, which represents HennepinCounty workers, said she is encouragedto see union organizing happen in thefood-service industry, where research

shows workers face greater vulnerabilityto wage theft and harassment.“I think momentum is starting to

swing,” she said. “It’s really exciting.”The community support hasn’t gone

unnoticed by Surly workers. NatalieNewcomer, a former server who wasfired by Surly on Aug. 5 – in retaliationfor union organizing, she believes – saidit was disheartening for workers to seetheir concerns about safety, economicsecurity and customer experience dis-missed so casually by management. “It’s been really beautiful to watch

the community get together and fightfor what is right,” Newcomer said. “Ourfamily has only grown stronger.”Any regrets?“Absolutely not,” said Caswell, who

joined the rally after finishing a shiftbehind the bar. “I’ve never organizedanything in my life – maybe my sockdrawer. It’s been a real education, and Iwould do it again in a second if need be.”

Labor Day weekend rally unites working people outside Surly

By Kristi Wright and Peter RachleffEast Side Freedom LibraryHalf a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, more

than 190,000 Americans have lost their lives, tens ofmillions are unemployed or underemployed andmany small businesses have closed permanently.While working people have struggled, major corpo-rations like Amazon have consolidated power, post-ing record profits as they expand operations. Thecompany has intensified the exploitation of its grow-ing workforce, breaking promises to provide hazardpay and bonuses to workers risking their health andsafety. A century ago, farmer, labor and community

activists used an octopus to depict the ways that theysaw capitalist greed grasping for control over social,economic and political life. Today, it is hard to imag-ine a more appropriate metaphor for Amazon.Yet the breadth of Amazon’s reach makes possible

intersectional and international alliances. In honor ofLabor Day, the East Side Freedom Library in St. Paulhosted “Labor Day Ain’t No Picnic,” a conversationamong a group of activists using research, socialmedia, art and on-the-ground organizing to rein inthe modern-day octopus. They detailed Amazon’stightening grip on workers, e-commerce, cloud com-puting, public policy and more, as well as what wecan do about it. Speakers included Tyler Hamilton, a worker at the

Amazon warehouse in Shakopee who has ties to theAwood Center, an East African worker center; DaniaRajendra, director of Athena, a coalition of over 50nonprofits taking on Amazon; Stacy Mitchell, co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a non-profit dedicated to building economic and politicalpower for local communities; and Sue Zumberge,owner of Subtext Books, an independent bookstore inSt. Paul. Funds raised from the event were splitbetween ESFL and the Education Minnesota Founda-tion School and Child Care Worker Relief Fund.A trillion-dollar company, Amazon is massive.

Rajendra explained that it directly employs 850,000workers, and relies on an additional 75,000 subcon-tracted workers to fulfill its signature one- and two-day shipping. It dominates the e-commerce space,

with more than two-thirds of online shoppers start-ing their search at Amazon, and more than half ofAmerican families subscribing to Amazon Prime. Thecompany acquired grocery chain Whole Foods in2017. Amazon Web Services (AWS), the company’smain revenue driver, provides cloud computing andstorage for nearly half of the web, including suchhousehold names as Zoom, Netflix and Slack. Lesserknown are Amazon’s partnerships with Immigrationand Customs Enforcement, the CIA and local law-enforcement agencies. CEO Jeff Bezos, with a networth of $192.1 billion, is the world’s richest person.At Amazon warehouses, where home delivery

orders are tracked and packed, workers face gruelingconditions. Held to superhuman productivity stan-dards, they are pressured to “make rate” of up to 400packages per hour, or risk being written up or fired.The system treats workers as machines, Hamiltonsaid, and is not designed to include them in a deci-sion-making process dominated by executives andshareholders. If a worker speaks up as an individual,the company’s resources are mobilized to silencethem, which is why collective action is necessary towin change. Hamilton recounted how in March 2019,at the 2,500-worker warehouse in Shakopee, man-agers announced higher rates, cuts to support rolesand an increase in low-paid temp positions.Objections raised by workers through official chan-nels were ignored. Fed up, a group of mostly EastAfrican workers partnered with the Awood Center inMinneapolis to organize a three-hour walkout.Proclaiming “we are humans, not robots,” they ral-lied for safe jobs, respect from managers and a voicein the workplace. Since then, the Awood Center hascontinued to organize strikes and protests at thewarehouse.Small businesses have also been hurt by

Amazon’s near-monopoly. Zumberge, owner ofSubtext Books, explained how bookstores were thefirst target of the octopus. In 2007, she testified at theMinnesota Legislature about Amazon’s evasion ofstate sales taxes. As the company has grown, morecustomers use her bookstore as a showroom forAmazon, scanning barcodes to look for a lower priceon the app.

To be sure, the web, e-commerce and homedelivery have been a great convenience during thepandemic. Rather than conflate opposition toAmazon with opposition to these services, Mitchellurged communities to imagine ways to provide themby democratic means. Putting the company in his-torical context, she described how the weakening oflabor and antitrust laws over the last several decadeshas led to an immense concentration of corporatepower, allowing large businesses like Amazon to holddown wages, defeat unions, crush small businesses,enforce racial hierarchy and capture the politicalprocess. With its e-commerce, shipping, and cloudcomputing services, it controls important economicinfrastructure. How could we build a system that bet-ter serves our community? It is nearly impossible to avoid Amazon com-

pletely, speakers acknowledged. They urged support-ers not to feel guilty for using Amazon, but rather toengage in collective action. Donate to labor andcommunity organizations that are taking onAmazon, and show up to support picketing workers.Vote for policymakers that will pass pro-labor andpro-worker legislation, break up monopolies andstrengthen safety protections. Avoid ordering heavy,bulky items that are hard on warehouse workers’bodies. Shop at local businesses offering curbsidepickup and delivery. And donate to organizations likeESFL that provide a forum for learning about theseissues and their history.In the present crisis, issues of corporate power

have become all the more pressing. As we growincreasingly dependent on economic infrastructurecontrolled by capitalist greed, it may seem difficult toenvision anything different. A century ago, farmer,labor and community activists taught us that evenwhen the octopus seems unbeatable, victory is possi-ble if the working class fights together. Whether it bethrough research, social media, art or on-the-groundorganizing, we too have the power to transform ourworld. A better world is possible, and we shouldn’tsettle for anything less.– Kristi Wright is labor liaison for the East Side

Freedom Library. Peter Rachleff is the ESFL’s co-exec-utive director.

A ‘prime opportunity’ for workers, communities to take on AmazonGuest Commentary

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1)Food-service workerson an organizing rollThe reopening of restaurants

and bars this summer sparked aflurry of union-organizing drivesin the Twin Cities, with workersand their union, UNITE HERELocal 17, achieving historic results.• Workers at Tattersall Distilling

became the first U.S. craft distilleryworkers to unionize Aug. 20. • On Labor Day, workers at

Stilheart and Lawless distilleries,both in Minneapolis, announcedthey had won union recognition.• Fair State Brewing Coopera-

tive became the nation’s first unioncraft brewer, agreeing to its workers’request for representation Sept. 9.• Workers at Spyhouse Coffee,

with five metro locations, staged anunfair-labor-practices strike overunsafe working conditions Sept. 19.

OCTOBER 2020 • THE UNION ADVOCATE • 7

Minutes of the Saint Paul Regional Labor FederationSEPTEMBER 9, 2020

The Saint Paul Regional LaborFederation met in regular sessionremotely due to COVID 19 on theabove date and was called to orderwith the Pledge of Allegiance byPresident Peterson at 6 p.m. Boardmembers in attendance were BeedleB., Beissel, Edwards, Engeldorf,Faber, Gibbons, Guertin, Madden,McCarthy, McNamara, Michelson,Mullin, Peterson, Schmidt, Seath,Slattery, St. Aoro, Terry, Vandassorand Varco. Excused were Dreyer,Maki-Green, Markham-Kocurek,Meyer, Robles, Sansom, and Weed.Absent were Beedle G., Froemke,Gorman, Hoppe, Luneburg, andRyan.

MINUTESM/S/C TO APPROVE MINUTES

OF JULY 8 AND AUGUST 12, 2020,AS PUBLISHED IN THE UNIONADVOCATE NEWSPAPER AFTERTHE SECRETARY NOTES THEREARE NO ADDITIONS OR CHANGESCALLED FOR.

COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL EDUCATION (COPE) MINUTESSEPTEMBER 9, 2020

COPE met in regular sessionremotely on the above date and wascalled to order by President Petersonat 5 p.m. Board members in atten-dance were Angrimson, Beedle B.,Beissel, Edwards, Engeldorf, Faber,Gibbons, Guertin, Hoerth, Madden,Mayer, McCarthy, McNamara,Michelson, Mullin, Naseth, Peterson,Schmidt, Seath, Slattery, St. Aoro,Terry, Vandassor, Varco and Wise.Excused were Dreyer, Maki-Green,Markham-Kocurek, Meyer, Robles,Sansom, and Weed. Absent wereBeedle G., DeRoy, Froemke, Gorman,Hoppe, Krey, Lohmann, Luneburgand Ryan.

Items to come before this com-mittee included:

• The Ramsey County LaborAssembly supports the Saint PaulRegional Labor Federation recom-mending that the Minnesota AFL-CIOgrant labor endorsement to AthenaHollins, House District 66B.

• The Chisago County LaborAssembly requested consideration ofgranting Labor Endorsement to:

– Amanda Darwin, North BranchCity Council

– Rick Greene, Chisago CountyCommissioner, District 2

– Mike Robinson, ChisagoCounty Commissioner, District 5

– Katie Werman Roche, ChisagoCounty Commissioner, District 3

• The Dakota County LaborAssembly (DCLA) requested consid-eration of granting LaborEndorsement to:

– Joe Atkins, Dakota CountyCommissioner, District 4

– Laurie Halverson, DakotaCounty Commissioner, District 3

– Mary Hamann-Roland, DakotaCounty Commissioner, District 7

• President Peterson reportedthat the Chisago County LaborAssembly and the WashingtonCounty Labor Assembly may screencandidates for School Board.

• Phone Banks are up and run-ning. Please contact ColleenNocerini at 612-408-2412 to volun-teer remotely or in-person at theLabor Center for the following shifttimes:

– Mondays in September andOctober from 4 to 8:30 p.m.

– Tuesdays and Thursdays inSeptember and October from 10a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4 to 8:30p.m.

– Saturdays, from Sept. 12 toOct. 24, 2020, from 10 a.m. to 2:30p.m.

– You can also sign-up to volun-teer at www.mnaflcio.org/volunteer.Indicate in the drop-down menu thatyou were recruited by the Saint PaulRegional Labor Federation.

• M/S/C TO RECOMMEND THEMN AFL-CIO GRANT LABORENDORSEMENT TO ATHENAHOLLINS, HOUSE DISTRICT 66B.

• M/S/C TO RECOMMENDGRANTING LABOR ENDORSEMENTTO AMANDA DARWIN, NORTHBRANCH CITY COUNCIL; RICKGREENE, CHISAGO COUNTY COM-MISSIONER, DISTRICT 2; MIKEROBINSON, CHISAGO COUNTYCOMMISSIONER, DISTRICT 5;KATIE WERMAN ROCHE, CHISAGOCOUNTY COMMISSIONER, DIS-TRICT 3; JOE ATKINS, DAKOTACOUNTY COMMISSIONER, DIS-TRICT 4; LAURIE HALVERSON,DAKOTA COUNTY COMMISSIONER,DISTRICT 3; AND MARY HAMANN-ROLAND, DAKOTA COUNTY COM-MISSIONER, DISTRICT 7.

• M/S/C FOR THE RLF TOMAKE A $200 DONATION TO JIMSWENSON, MAYOR OF NORTHBRANCH.

• M/S/C FOR THE RLF TOMAKE A $1,000 DONATION TO CD2FALL CLASSIC HALLOWEENWARMUP FUNDRAISER.

There being no further businessto come before this committee, themeeting adjourned.

EXECUTIVE BOARD MINUTESSEPTEMBER 9, 2020

The Executive Board met uponconclusion of COPE with those samemembers present who are duly elect-ed to this board.

Items to come before this boardincluded:

• PRESIDENT’S REPORTPresident Peterson thanked

Jamie McNamara, IBEW Local 110,UFCW Local 1189, the Saint PaulFederal Credit Union and ColleenNocerini for their help with the FifthAnnual Union Job and Resource Fair,held on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020.We had 100 job seekers that partici-pated. Donations were received inthe amount of $24,495 for the St.Paul Labor Studies and ResourceCenter’s (LSRC) Labor Bowl. TheJean Jones School Supplies raised$790 to secure and deliver schoolsupplies to Title One Project REACHof the Saint Paul Schools. In thenext few days, the affiliated unionswill receive announcement of ourannual Labor of Love – Sponsor aFamily in the mail, and since we willbe having the October RLF meetingremotely, the Oktoberfest fundraiserhas been cancelled.

• ORGANIZING UPDATES/CAM-PAIGNS:

APWU, IATSE Local 13, NALC,Saint Paul Building and ConstructionTrades Council, Saint PaulFederation of Educators, SEIU HealthCare Minnesota and UnitedSteelworkers Local 11-418 gaveupdates on their organizing activi-ties.

• THANK YOU NOTES receivedfrom East Side Freedom Library forthe RLF’s $2,500 donation, Homesfor Our Troops for the RLF’s $500donation, and Saint Paul Schools –Title One Project REACH for theschool supplies that were donatedthrough the Jean Jones SchoolSupply Initiative.

There being no further businessto come before this board, the meet-ing adjourned.

REPORT OF THE TREASURERSecretary-Treasurer Engeldorf

reported on the financial status ofthe Federation as of August 2020.The report was accepted as read.

PRESIDENTS REPORTPresident Peterson reported on:– We have started phone bank-

ing; it has been very positive, andwe are extending an invitation forvolunteers to join us. Thank you forrelease staff from ATU Local 1005,IBEW Local 110, IUPAT DistrictCouncil 82 and UFCW Local 1189.Our priorities will be Dakota andWashington County.

– The Minnesota AFL-CIO is con-tinuing to offer trainings.

– The Jean Jones SchoolsSupply Initiative was successful.Thank you to everyone who donated.

– We will once again be sponsor-ing our annual Labor of Love –Sponsor a Family program.

– Oktoberfest 2020 has officiallybeen cancelled.

– The RLF is in the process ofreviewing candidate résumés toreplace Lynne Larkin-Wright, AFL-CIOCommunity Services Liaison, St.Paul Labor Studies and ResourceCenter.

– The RLF has hired a new politi-cal organizer with a start date ofOctober.

REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES• Theresa St. Aoro reported on

behalf of the Ramsey County LaborAssembly. Their next meeting will beon the fourth Monday of the monthat 6 p.m. via zoom.

• Brian Beedle reported onbehalf of the Washington CountyLabor Assembly. Their next meetingwill be the fourth Wednesday of themonth at 6 p.m. via zoom.

• Michael Madden reported onbehalf of the Chisago County LaborAssembly. Their next meeting will bethe fourth Thursday of the month at4:30 p.m. via zoom.

• Connie Beissel reported onbehalf of the Dakota County LaborAssembly. Their next meeting will bethe second Thursday of the monthat 7 p.m. via zoom.

STAFF/LABOR LIAISON REPORTS• Colleen Nocerini, political

organizer, is requesting volunteersfor the upcoming phone banking.

NEW BUSINESS• President Peterson called for

a floor vote on the COPE Committeerecommendation for the MN AFL-CIOto grant labor endorsement ofAthena Hollins, House District 66B.

M/S/C TO RECOMMEND THEMN AFL-CIO GRANT LABORENDORSEMENT TO ATHENAHOLLINS HOUSE DISTRICT 66B.

• President Peterson called fora floor vote on the COPE Committee

recommendation to grant LaborEndorsement to Amanda Darwin,North Branch City Council; RickGreene, Chisago CountyCommissioner, District 2; MikeRobinson, Chisago CountyCommissioner, District 5; KatieWerman Roche, Chisago CountyCommissioner, District 3; Joe Atkins,Dakota County Commissioner,District 4; Laurie Halverson, DakotaCounty Commissioner, District 3;and Mary Hamann-Roland, DakotaCounty Commissioner, District 7.

M/S/C TO GRANT LABORENDORSEMENT TO AMANDA DAR-WIN, NORTH BRANCH CITY COUN-CIL; RICK GREENE, CHISAGOCOUNTY COMMISSIONER, DIS-

TRICT 2; MIKE ROBINSON, CHISA-GO COUNTY COMMISSIONER, DIS-TRICT 5; KATIE WERMAN ROCHE,CHISAGO COUNTY COMMISSION-ER, DISTRICT 3; JOE ATKINS, DAKO-TA COUNTY COMMISSIONER, DIS-TRICT 4; LAURIE HALVERSON,DAKOTA COUNTY COMMISSIONER,DISTRICT 3; AND MARY HAMANN-ROLAND, DAKOTA COUNTY COM-MISSIONER, DISTRICT 7.

There being no further businessto come before this delegation, themeeting adjourned.

Submitted by, BERNADINE ENGELDORF

Secretary-Treasurer

Sponsor a family in need this holiday season

No family should go without food on the table. Thatgoes double during the holidays.The Labor of Love – Sponsor a Family fundraising

drive will help get food to families in need throughout theTwin Cities’ east-metro region this holiday season.Contributions from unions and their members will beaccepted through Nov. 13.All donations are used to purchase gift cards from

union grocery stores. Local agencies distribute the giftcards to area families in December.Participating agencies include Catholic Charities in St.

Paul, Sponsor a Family MN and Jewish CommunityCenter. The St. Paul Labor Studies and Resource Center’sEmergency Fund, which provides assistance to unionmembers facing financial hardship, distributes 30 percentof proceeds from Labor of Love.To contribute, mail a check payable to Labor Studies

and Resource Center to LSRC; Labor of Love – Sponsor aFamily; Attn: Laura; 353 West 7th St., Suite 201; Saint Paul,MN 55102.Labor of Love – Sponsor a Family is co-sponsored by

Greater Twin Cities United Way, the St. Paul RegionalLabor Federation, the LSRC and the AFL-CIO CommunityServices program.

The St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, mayconsider recommendations for labor endorsement dur-ing its Oct. 14 delegate meeting.For more information about the endorsement

process, call 651-222-3787.

Labor 2020 endorsement notice