State labor movement sets legislative priorities

The Legislature will consider hundreds of bills this spring. But to help you keep track of what?s important to the state?s labor movement, the Minnesota AFL-CIO is keeping it simple ? four categories, with some specifics, tell you the basics in determining whether proposed legislation is good or bad.

The rundown:

Create good jobs
The Legislature must pass a substantial bonding bill; fully fund the state?s dislocated worker programs and resist attempts to dismantle those programs; raise the minimum wage and resist attempts to penalize tipped employees; and comprehensively address the state?s long-term transportation needs ? both roads and transit.

Cut costs and expand access to health care
The Legislature must address Minnesota?s short- and long-term health-care needs. Every Minnesotan should have the right to basic health care, just as they have a right to public education and public safety. Legislators must control soaring health-care costs by requiring full disclosure of health-plan expenses, capping annual premium increases, and using the state?s purchasing power to negotiate lower prescription-drug prices. A statewide school district employee health-insurance pool and allowing small businesses to buy into MinnesotaCare will reduce overall costs and expand access as well.

Strengthen our public schools
The Legislature must reverse the 2003 real dollar reductions in Early Childhood through post-secondary education. Furthermore, our public educational system needs to be fully funded and the Legislature should resist attempts to divert funds to other projects until the public system is fully funded.

Protect workers and consumers
The Legislature should prohibit the use of public dollars to block worker?s efforts to organize unions in their workplaces. Legislators must oppose attacks on PELRA, project labor agreements and prevailing wages. Consumers must be notified when their personal information is being processed by foreign customer service centers so they have the option to speak with a worker in the United States.

Adapted from The Union Advocate, the official newspaper of the St. Paul Trades and Labor Assembly. E-mail The Advocate at: advocate@mtn.org

For more information
Visit the Minnesota AFL-CIO website, www.mnaflcio.org

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