jobs

St. Paul – Responding to the Minnesota Department of Finance’s February 2011 Budget Forecast, Minnesota AFL-CIO President Shar Knutson issued the following statement:

“While we are encouraged by today’s forecast, there remains a multi-billion dollar revenue crisis. And that means Minnesota’s working families are still hurting.

Governor Pawlenty’s failed policies hurt middle class families the most. It is time for the most fortunate among us to pay their fair share. read more »

St. Paul – Minnesota AFL-CIO President Shar Knutson issued the following statement after hearing Governor Dayton’s State of the State address:

“Governor Dayton laid out a bold vision for shared prosperity in Minnesota today. He recognizes that we can have a prosperous future if we invest in Minnesotans now. He showed that vision last week in his jobs bill proposal and showed it again this afternoon.

“His plan to solve the state’s revenue shortfall will protect middle class families who have already sacrificed so much in the previous decade. read more »

On Wednesday afternoon, the leaders of Minnesota’s incoming GOP legislative majorities gathered reporters to talk about their legislative agenda. Minnesota AFL-CIO President Shar Knutson issued the following statement:

“Middle class Minnesotans want their legislature to help create family sustaining jobs sooner rather than later and solve the state’s multi-billion dollar revenue shortfall fairly.

The Legislature’s number one priority must be to put Minnesotans back to work as soon as possible. read more »

http://www.jobsnowcoalition.org/index.html

 The next statewide Minnesota Young Workers’ meeting is set for Tuesday, November 30 in Wellstone Hall at the Duluth Labor Temple at 6pm.

Last July, over two dozen union members under 35 years of age from throughout Minnesota met in July and AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Liz Shuler was present and discussed opportunities, challenges and how to strengthen the labor movement as young people. Minnesota is building on the success of the AFL-CIO Next Up Young Workers Summit held in Washington DC in June. read more »

St. Paul – Citing the huge economic impact and job creation potential, leaders of the Minnesota AFL-CIO sent an open letter to Wisconsin Governor-elect Scott Walker urging him to reconsider his plans to refuse federal dollars for high speed rail.

The section between Madison and Milwaukee would be part of a larger regional high speed rail system linking Minneapolis/St. Paul and Chicago.

In the letter, Minnesota AFL-CIO President Shar Knutson and Secretary-Treasurer Steve Hunter reminded Walker that refusing these funds won’t just hurt Wisconsin, but the entire Midwest. read more »

Click here to read the full letter. (PDF)

Congress is back in Washington for the so-called “lame duck” session and there is still important work to be done. And incredibly, it looks like lawmakers are about to leave for Thanksgiving without extending emergency unemployment insurance—which will expire Nov. 30.

While Republicans are enthusiastically supporting an extension of Bush-era tax cuts for millionaires, they’ve told the millions of jobless Americans they “can’t afford” to extend unemployment insurance. read more »

In Minnesota, and across the nation, jobs just aren’t there. There are 207,500 people who are unemployed in Minnesota,(1) and 14.8 million people who are unemployed nationally.(2) Many of them are in the job search of their lives.

But get this: Some lawmakers—many of the same ones who want to pass tax cuts for people who make more than $250,000 per year—want to cut off emergency unemployment benefits. read more »

Minnesota families need family-sustaining jobs. They don’t need them in a year or a decade; they need jobs now. According to a new report by think tank Minnesota 2020, an investment in infrastructure can play a big role in creating more jobs.

The report, Stimulated and Growing: Multiplying the Recovery Act’s Minnesota Impact, shows the republican spin about the recovery act was just that. read more »

St. Paul – Upon learning of Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Tom Emmer’s “budget plan” today, Minnesota AFL-CIO President Shar Knutson issued the following statement:

“Tom Emmer’s so-called plan is simply more of the same Tim Pawlenty policies of the last eight years that have failed to create family-sustaining jobs for middle class Minnesotans

As a legislator, Tom Emmer voted against job creation at nearly every turn; so it’s hard to take him seriously. read more »