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Over ninety campaign workers at the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party announced Thursday the approval of a collective bargaining agreement that includes across-the-board raises, just cause protections, a limit on hours, and in a historic win, overtime pay for workers in an industry long associated with eighty hour workweeks and little pay, according to a press release from the Campaign Workers Guild.
“For all of us who are fighting to protect democracy and stop the erosion of the working class by building up our unionized workforce, it’s particularly meaningful that the fight has come home to the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. It was not as easy as one might think to get a fair contract from the management of the Democratic-Farmer-LABOR Party, but we are proud of what we were able to finally secure for our workers in this contract, which includes wins like a pay raise, protected time off, and more reasonable working hours and conditions. We are also excited to see this contract serve as the framework for future workers both within the party and elsewhere in the non-unionized workforce,” said Kim Huls, Field Organizer and member of the bargaining team.
“The contract we settled with the DFL not only sets nationwide precedent for what campaign workers could win, but also creates a path for workers and American labor unions to rebuild our collective power,” said Isuru Herath, Regional Organizing Director, who also sat at the bargaining table.
“I’m excited to have settled on a contract that places the values of the working class struggle at the forefront of the Democratic platform. With the increasing attacks on the public sector, the erosion of Civil Rights provisions across the nation, and the increasing power of the right-wing ideology, I believe the contract we have settled can help revitalize the American labor movement to challenge the attacks on our livelihoods.”
Recently unionized, the Campaign Workers Guild is the largest union of campaign workers in the country. Minnesota is the second coordinated campaign in the country to organize and win recognition for their union with the Campaign Workers Guild. The first is the Ohio Democratic Party who CWG is currently bargaining with.