Minneapolis Labor Review 111Th Year No

Save the date for Labor 2018 Days of Action— page 10 Minneapolis Labor Review 111th Year No. 3 July 27, 2018 www.minneapolisunions.org Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO Labor’s booth returns to Primary election August 14 will shape key races Game Fair By Steve Share, August 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, Labor Review editor See page 7 MINNEAPOLIS — Minne- sota voters will go to the polls Tuesday, August 14 to decide DFL and Republican primary contests for key races including U.S. Senate, U.S. House, Gover- nor, and Attorney General. In addition, races for many local and county offices also have Tina Smith Irene Fernando Peter McLaughlin Hollies Winston non-partisan primary contests. The winners will advance to the US Senate Hennepin County Board Hennepin County Board Brooklyn Park Mayor November 6 general election See page 12 for the list of re-election and, in the special running for Minnesota Attorney Minnesota Governor: AFL-CIO candidates. election primary contest, Tina General, the DFL primary contest No AFL-CIO endorsement See page 7 for profiles of Smith. Both Klobuchar and for the Fifth District U.S. House After two terms, Governor AFL-CIO endorsed candidates Smith are running with the DFL seat has attracted several candi- Mark Dayton is not running for in key primary contests. Party’s endorsement. dates. The Minnesota AFL-CIO re-election and Minnesota’s Mike Nelson, U.S. Senate: Smith was appointed to the did not endorse in this race. unions have split their endorse- AFSCME retiree AFL-CIO endorses U.S. Senate by Governor Mark The leading candidates (in al- ments in the DFL primary race Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Dayton to fill the vacancy when phabetical order) include Mar- to choose his successor. The Both of Minnesota’s U.S. Franken resigned. garet Anderson Kelliher, former Minnesota AFL-CIO has not en- Labor news Senate seats will be on the pri- Smith ran with Dayton as his Speaker of the Minnesota House dorsed in the race. updated daily mary and general election bal- Lieutenant Governor for his sec- of Representatives who served The leading candidates (in al- www.workdayminnesota.org lots because of a special election ond term and previously served six terms in the House; Ilhan phabetical order) include: State to fill the vacancy created by Al as chief-of-staff in his first term. Omar, first-term State Represen- Representative Erin Murphy, Franken’s resignation. Fifth District U.S. House: tative, who won the DFL en- Minnesota Attorney General In the DFL primary, the Min- No AFL-CIO endorsement dorsement; and Patricia Torres Lori Swanson, and First District nesota AFL-CIO has endorsed With incumbent Fifth Dis- Ray, who is serving her fourth U.S. Congressman Tim Walz. incumbent Amy Klobuchar for trict Congressman Keith Ellison term in the Minnesota Senate. PRIMARY page 6 In 5-4 ‘Janus’ vote, US Supreme Court Vote August 14 strikes blow against public sector unions Primary Election By Steve Share, that all “non-member fee deduc- political efforts. Tuesday, August 14 is Labor Review editor tions are coerced political speech” The majority opinion over- Primary Election day in MINNEAPOLIS — Voting and that “the First Amendment turning Abood was written by Jus- Minnesota. 5-4, the U.S. Supreme Court last forbids coercing any money from tice Samuel Alito, who has served month upended 41 years of legal the non-members.” on the high court since 2006 and Your ballot may contain precedent and overturned the The case was carefully de- was nominated by President races for local, state and Court’s unanimous 1977 decision signed to overturn the Supreme George W. Bush. In other opin- federal office. which had allowed public sector Court’s 1977 decision, Abood v. ions in recent years, Alito had In most locations, polls unions to collect “fair share” or Detroit Board of Education. In raised concerns about Abood, lay- will be open from 7:00 “agency” fees from non-members. Abood, the Court ruled unani- ing the groundwork for future The decision in Janus v. AFSC- mously that the interests of both challenges. President Trump’s a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ME Council 31, which was re- government employers and public nominee, Justice Neil Gorsuch, Early voting is now un- leased June 27, ruled in favor of employee unions for labor peace sided with the 5-4 majority. derway. State of Illinois employee Mark were served by collective bargain- Justice Elena Kagan, writing For more information, Janus’s objection to paying any ing. The Court, however, sensitive the dissenting opinion, vehement- including about early vot- fees to the union which represent- to potential First Amendment con- ly objected to the process and out- ed him and bargained for his wag- cerns, in Abood upheld “fair come of Janus. “Today, the Court ing, visit mnvotes.org. es and benefits. share” fees as a way for workers succeeds in its 6-year campaign to For a list of AFL-CIO Janus’s case, bankrolled by who objected to joining the union reverse Abood,” she wrote. “Its endorsed candidates, see right-wing foundations funded by to pay for the union’s collective decision will have large-scale con- page 12. anti-union billionaires, claimed bargaining activities, but not its JANUS page 8 Beware the messengers of fear who will divide workers along racial lines By Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou, President, specifically designed to invoke fear and di- Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation vision. We need to confront those messages It seems every time I turn on the TV or head-on and call-out the messengers for I’m surfing the web, I see a different politi- what they’re doing. cian telling me to blame the children of im- Instead of hate and fear, Minnesotans migrants, black people or Mus- want to focus on real solutions lims for the growing inequalities for our state and our future. we all are facing. Just like bad Working people in this state bosses who divide workers and want to focus on coming to- weaken our unions, the rich and gether and fighting for the fu- powerful and their political al- ture we all deserve: fight to- lies are using race-based divide gether for roads that get us to and conquer tactics. where we want to go, bridges The wealthy elites who that don’t fall down, jobs that want to take away union rights pay well, the right to negotiate want to divide us based on what someone a fair return on our work, schools that nur- looks like, where someone comes from, ture our kids, and a dignified retirement for how much money someone earns or wheth- our parents and grandparents. MRLF endorses two ballot measures er someone receives We know our support from public Those forces who want to unions’ strength comes safety-net programs. from all of us working to fund Minneapolis Public Schools Why? Because di- take away union rights together, regardless of MINNEAPOLIS — Delegates to the capital project levy. If passed, this ques- viding working people whether we are white, Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, tion would provide $12 million annually at election time benefits also want to divide us black or brown. AFL-CIO voted July 11 to endorse two for seven years to support the school dis- the candidates who will In the face of racial- ballot measures which will help fund the trict’s technology systems. This measure, support the economic based on what someone ly-tinged, divisive mes- Minneapolis Public Schools. a “tech” levy, would free up general fund agenda of the rich and sages from our foes, The ballot questions will appear on money to be used for other vital student powerful. They want to looks like or where leaving out our vision the general election ballot for the No- support purposes. weaken our freedoms of people coming to- vember 6, 2018 elections. If voters approve both questions, the and convince our mem- someone comes from. gether across all races For the first question, Minneapolis tax increase for the median value home bers to vote away their leaves our members voters will be asked whether to increase in Minneapolis would be $11 per month. union. only hearing one side of the story. We are the current operating levy to the state-al- For more information from the Min- We know that the right to join a union the best messengers to let all of Minnesota lowed maximum. If passed, this question neapolis school district: will be at stake this November. We need to know that to make life better for working would provide $18 million annually in mpls.k12.mn.us/referendum elect a labor-friendly governor so that Min- people, we need to invest in education, cre- additional revenue for seven years. For more information from the Min- nesota doesn’t follow Wisconsin and be- ate better-paying jobs, and make healthcare For the second question, Minneapolis neapolis levy campaign: come a “Right to Work” state. affordable for all Minnesotans — white, voters will be asked whether to approve a yesformplskids.org. The leading Republican candidate, for- black, and brown. mer Governor Tim Pawlenty, isn’t talking This summer and fall, the MRLF and about that part of his agenda. our affiliated unions will be talking to our Information for candidates seeking endorsement Instead, his campaign is sending out an- fellow union members about what our The Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation In addition, all requests should be copied by ti-immigrant mailings and generating ro- unions mean to us. As we talk with union screens candidates for State Legislative, County, e-mail to MRLF campaigns manager Casey Hudek at bo-calls charging that “waste and fraud” in members, we must include our vision that Municipal, School Board or other local elected of- [email protected] and to Barb Boettch- state government are allowing non-citizens counteracts this damaging racial narrative.

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