Bloomington – As the 50th Constitutional Convention of the Minnesota AFL-CIO came to a close, the 500+ convention delegates unanimously re-elected President Shar Knutson and Secretary-Treasurer Steve Hunter to lead the state labor federation for the next four years.
“This is a critical time for middle class families and I look forward to continue serving working men and women as we build a better future for everyone in our state,” said Knutson, who became the Minnesota AFL-CIO’s first woman president in a special election last year.
Prior to her service as president, Knutson served as President of the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation for ten years, and previously served as the Regional Federation’s political director. Before working for St. Paul area unions, Shar worked in St. Paul City Government and was a Policy Analyst and Assistant to Jim Schiebel when he was the Mayor of Saint Paul. She specialized in labor, health, and immigration issues.
Hunter, who was first elected Secretary-Treasurer in 2001, said the labor movement has much work ahead in the next four years.
“The policies of the last 10 years have bankrupt our state and made the American dream harder to achieve for working people. We will stand up for leaders who share our values and priorities and will work with them to bring prosperity back to all Minnesotan families.”
Prior to his position with the AFL-CIO, Hunter served as the political action director in Minnesota for the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. Hunter graduated from the University of Minnesota and has served on numerous governing boards, including the Resource Center for the Americas, Transit for Livable Communities, Twin City Area Labor Management Council, American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, and the Community Solutions Fund.
The Minnesota AFL-CIO is labor federation made up of more than 1,000 affiliate unions, representing over 300,000 working men and women throughout the state.
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