Press Inquiries
Josh Keller
SEIU MN State Council
Media Relations Coordinator
Cell: 612-270-2984
Office: 651-203-0401×15
Jkeller@seiumn.org
Press Releases
Home Care Workers Vote to Ratify Contract
St. Paul — Home care workers voted overwhelmingly to ratify the contract their bargaining team of both workers and clients who rely on home care services negotiated with the State of Minnesota. The mail ballots were counted Thursday night, with over 93% of votes cast in favor of the contract, which includes a $2/hour increase in the wage floor, new training opportunities to improve the quality of care clients receive, and other steps forward for a group of workers that voted to unionize in 2014.
Now that the workers have ratified the contract, it will go to the legislature for ratification. The final step would be having it signed by Governor Dayton.
Home care worker Dawn Burnfin from Chisholm released the following statement after the votes were counted:
“Home care workers, and the seniors and people with disabilities we care for, know our state is facing a care crisis. The low wages and lack of benefits have meant Minnesota families have not been able to receive the care they deserve. Our contract, which increases wages and paid time off, gives PCA’s time and half on two holidays a year, and makes real investments in training, will be a huge step in improving the lives of tens of thousands of Minnesota families, in every town small and large across the state by not only making sure that PCA’s aren’t having to choose between coming to work sick or not being able to support their family. It also shows that we appreciate the sacrifices they make and legitimizes the PCA profession.
“We know that legislators in both parties understand the need to care for vulnerable seniors and the disabled. That is why two years ago our contract had a strong set of authors from both parties. We look forward to talking to our Senators and Representatives to make sure they understand the vital importance of passing this contract, so that we can take a crucial step towards finally addressing the care crisis for seniors and people with disabilities in Minnesota.”
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SEIU Healthcare Minnesota unites more than 35,000 healthcare and long-term care workers in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and home care throughout the state of Minnesota.
Minnesota’s Largest Healthcare Workers’ Union To Representative Erik Paulsen: “Stakes Are Too High To Vote on Healthcare Bill Without Critical Information”
St. Paul – Statement from Jamie Gulley, President of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota:
“Congressman Erik Paulsen is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee, making him one of several members of the House who are charged with marking up and voting on the most recent Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. The markup process could begin as early as today.
“This is a significant responsibility with real consequences for countless Minnesotans, including thousands in the 3rd Congressional District. In the most recent version of the proposal publicly available, Medicaid costs would be shifted to states, putting seniors, children and people with disabilities at risk of losing their health coverage and endangering the survival of Minnesota hospitals and other key community providers.
“Despite these potentially devastating consequences for Minnesotans, the Committee may possibly vote without a Congressional Budget Office estimate of how many people will actually lose health insurance and how much the new plan will cost.
“With the stakes so high, it would be rash and reckless for Congressman Paulsen to take this vote without more information. As healthcare workers and Minnesotans who want good healthcare for our families, we call on Rep. Paulsen to postpone the vote until the CBO estimate is released.”
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SEIU Healthcare Minnesota unites more than 35,000 healthcare and long-term care workers in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and home care throughout the state of Minnesota.
Recently Unionized Twin Cities Big Box Retail Janitors Win First Contract, Show Path Forward for Working Families in Time of Trump
The nearly 500 janitors who are sub-contracted to clean stores like Best Buy, Macys, Target and others announce historic first contract that will bring an increase of $4.5 million in wages and PTO for working families in Minnesota
Group won historic union by joining SEIU Local 26 earlier this year after multi-year fight
Minneapolis, MN – Big Box retail janitors who are sub-contracted to clean Best Buy, Macys, Lunds, Target and other stores in the Twin Cities Metro announced that they finalized a first contract with their employers as members of SEIU Local 26. The group won their groundbreaking union earlier this year after a multi-year fight that saw them go on multiple 24-hour strikes and organize the first industry-wide union of big box janitors in a major metropolitan area.
The gains in the contract via wage increases and Paid Time Off include over $4.5 million over the life of the contract for the nearly 500 workers covered by bargaining. Retail janitors will see an average increase of 18% over 3 years, with many janitors seeing an immediate $1.50 raise. The vast majority of the group are people of color, with gains from the contract helping to fight back against Minnesota’s painful racial and economic gaps.
The gains won in this contract are the private sector stimulus that Trump and his billionaire cabinet promised, but workers delivered on for themselves. Janitors like Maricela Flores, a mother and grandmother who works for Carlson Building Maintenance at the Shakopee Target who has been part of the bargaining sessions, shared what it meant to win this first contract and to see gains during in this current climate.
“We fought hard to get to this point, so it means so much to have won this first contract. While working people are under attack right now from the billionaires in charge of our country, we are showing that we can win if we stick together and fight. Over the years we marched, picketed, organized our workplaces and went on strike multiple times, each time growing stronger despite facing long odds,” said Flores. “Especially now, it is so important to remember something we’ve said throughout our campaign: ‘When We Fight, We Win.’ Because we stood up and fought, and didn’t let anyone tell us we couldn’t win, we now have a contract that won big gains for our families.”
Lizbet Vega Lopez, who has been employed by Carlson to clean the Cub Foods in Brooklyn Park for 12 years, talked about what these gains will mean for her family during the age of Trump. Vega Lopez is one of the many workers seeing an immediate raise from $9.50 to $11 per hour.
“This was not an easy fight, but I am so glad we stuck together and now have a union contract that moves us forward. I hope others will see our fight and realize that no matter how difficult the challenge may be, you can win positive changes if you are willing to stand up to those in power,” said Lopez, a mother of 3. “We are contracted to clean the stores of some of the biggest corporations in the world, so it was a big win just to get to the negotiation table with our employers, and now we have won gains that cannot be taken away. We weren’t waiting on Trump’s empty promises and scapegoating. We decided to fight back and win changes for ourselves, and hope others do too!”
In addition to wage increases and PTO, workers also won: one to three weeks vacation, depending on experience, stronger workplace protections and job security, and guidelines for workload conditions when covering absences. The contract goes into effect immediately and will last three years.
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Around the country, airport workers are coming together in Airport Workers United, a movement of workers and their allies, raising their voices to make our airports safe and secure for passengers, employees and our communities. Contracted airport workers from major airports serve 393 million passengers yearly. By sticking together and speaking out for change these workers have won wage increases in Los Angeles, New York City, Newark, Minneapolis, Boston, Philadelphia, and Fort Lauderdale. Today, more than 85,000 airport workers nationwide have either received wages increases or other improvements, including health care, paid sick leave and worker retention policies.
Bureau of Mediation Services Rules with Minnesota Home Care Workers; Dismisses Efforts to Decertify Union
Saint Paul — With news today that the Bureau of Mediation Services dismissed the decertification attempt by the anti-union group “MNPCA.org” for lacking sufficient support, Minneapolis home care worker and SEIU Healthcare Minnesota Executive Board member LaTanya Hughes shared her feelings about the latest attack on the union again falling short.
“The campaign to undermine the union we’ve worked so hard to build came up well short of the support they needed to trigger an election. This effort was never supported by a significant number of home care workers or the people with disabilities and seniors we serve. As the people actually affected, we all know that we need a powerful voice at the Capitol to address the home care crisis Minnesota is currently facing, and the only way we have that is by coming together,” said Hughes. “That voice, SEIU Healthcare Minnesota, worked tirelessly to reach a tentative agreement with the Department of Human Services to raise wages and other benefits for home care workers. It is unfortunate that there are people who disagree with increasing wages and benefits for growing workforce by trying to decertify the union and hamper efforts for our second contract.”
Hughes continued, “I was proud to be part of the bargaining team that reached a tentative agreement that will, if it’s now ratified by union members and the legislature, make major strides forward in addressing the care crisis — a severe shortage of quality care workers because of low pay and few benefits — by raising the pay floor from $11 to $13, providing new funding for training and stipends to reward home care workers to improve their skill sets, more paid time off, two paid holidays for the first time ever, additional wage increases for workers providing care to the clients with the highest level of complex care needs, and more. We still have a lot of work to do to fix the care crisis facing Minnesota families, but I’m incredibly proud we didn’t let any distractions stop us from getting to this point where we are so close to improving the lives of tens of thousands of families all across our state.”
In dismissing MNPCA’s petition, the Bureau of Mediation Services (BMS) announced that the group had not turned in enough signatures seeking a new vote to decertify the union. Even in the unlikely event that all the cards submitted by the anti-union campaign proved valid, they at best came up over 5,000 workers short of the “Showing of Interest.”
Shaquonica Johnson, a home care worker from West St. Paul and Vice President of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota, remembered the lengths home care workers had to go to get a chance to vote on their union, the same exact process that the anti-union forces just failed to achieve.
“I remember like it was yesterday the excitement I felt on the morning, back in July 2014, when we filed our petition with BMS to request a union election. We brought them boxes and boxes of cards – from over 10,000 home care workers, from every corner of the state, wanting to form our union. I’m so proud of the work we’ve done since then to make progress for home care workers and the people we serve. And after many months and hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on anti-union mailings, slick videos, opinion pieces in the newspaper, and lawsuit after lawsuit after lawsuit, these anti-union groups still haven’t gotten through to even a third of the number of workers they would need to convince in order to get a new election. That should tell them everything they need to know about whether it makes sense to keep up their relentless attacks on a struggling workforce that is made up almost entirely of women. We want a union, we know we need a union, and we’re never going to let a bunch of lawyers and special interest groups take our union away from us.”
The next step with the tentative agreement will be a vote on it by union members. If approved, it would then go to the Minnesota Legislature for ratification and then signed by the Governor to go into effect on July 1st.
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SEIU Healthcare Minnesota unites more than 35,000 healthcare and long-term care workers in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and home care throughout the state of Minnesota.
Home Care Union Reaches Tentative Agreement with State of Minnesota
The contract, which needs to be ratified by Union members and the state Legislature, would increase wages for thousands of home care workers from $11 to $13 per hour, boost paid time off, and provide more training opportunities and new holiday pay
Saint Paul – Home care workers and clients who have been bargaining their second Union contract with the State of Minnesota announced a Tentative Agreement (TA) Thursday morning. The TA was reached late Wednesday evening after four months of negotiations. Highlights of the TA included:
- A $2/hour increase in the wage floor, from $11/hour to $13/hour
- Over $1m in State support for home care worker trainings
- New stipends to reward home care workers for taking additional trainings that enable them to provide their clients with safer, higher-quality care
- The first holiday pay for Minnesota home care workers (many of whom provide essential care on holidays that allows their clients to celebrate with their families), with time-and-a-half pay for two holidays
- More Paid Time Off, building on the new benefit won in their first contract in 2015
- Additional wage increases for workers providing support to clients with the highest, most complex care needs
- An online matching registry, to help home care clients find workers and to help home care workers find clients.
Jim Carlisle, a disability rights advocate who has received home care services for over forty years and was a member of the bargaining team, said the changes agreed to in negotiations would, if ratified by the Union and legislature, represent major steps forward in addressing the care crisis thousands of families across Minnesota currently face.
“My wife and I both rely on home care workers in our day-to-day life. As the current care crisis has grown, we’ve seen the harm to families like ours across the state because of the lack of quality caregivers. I was proud to be on the Union’s bargaining team and to have a chance to help reach this tentative agreement that would raise wages, invest in training and improve benefits to help attract and retain the quality home care workers we need now and will need even more as our population ages,” said Carlisle, who lives in West St. Paul.
Dawn Burnfin from Chisholm, a home care worker and mother of five who was also part of the SEIU Healthcare Minnesota bargaining team, talked about why the changes in this Tentative Agreement would, if ratified, be so important:
“I am passionate about my job and proud of the good work home care workers do keeping Minnesotans safe and in their homes. The gains in the Tentative Agreement would begin to make home care workers feel like our time, skills and work are just as important as other jobs,” said Burnfin. “I hope elected officials who aren’t yet affected by the care crisis understand it may not be long before you or your spouse or your parent will need someone to care for them. When that time comes, do you want someone well-paid and well-trained, so your loved one gets the care they deserve, or do you want someone who is just passing through until they can find some other job with decent pay and benefits? This tentative agreement is a step towards fixing the care crisis we have ignored for too long, to make sure every Minnesotan gets the care they deserve.”
If the Tentative Agreement gets ratified by Union members, it would then go to the legislature for their approval. The final step would be having it signed by Governor Dayton. The negotiations took place in the months preceding the state’s legislative session in order to ensure that legislators have the opportunity to review the terms of the proposed agreement and vote on whether to ratify it. Carlisle shared why it is so crucial for elected officials to approve the proposed contract and take steps to address the care crisis in our state.
“My wife and I have seen the best of home care workers, some of whom became like family to us. But we’ve also experienced the trauma that comes when there are not real investments in care work. Everyone who wants and needs it should have access to good, safe care in their homes, and by ratifying this contract the Minnesota Legislature will be taking a strong step towards making that a reality. Having people with disabilities and seniors remain in our homes doesn’t just make our lives better; it also saves taxpayers millions of dollars, compared to having us in nursing homes or other institutional settings.”
The Tentative Agreement comes as groups funded by corporate special interests to undermine the democratically elected Union were dealt yet another setback. Earlier this week the Bierman v. Dayton court case, which aims to strip home care workers in the bargaining unit of their ability to come together and fight to improve the home care industry, was rejected in federal district court.
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SEIU Healthcare Minnesota unites more than 35,000 healthcare and long-term care workers in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and home care throughout the state of Minnesota.
Mayo Presents Food Service Workers With Comprehensive Proposal in Outsourcing Fight
Rochester, Minn – Late Tuesday evening, after 15 bargaining sessions and two informational pickets, Mayo Clinic representatives presented the food service workers represented by SEIU Healthcare Minnesota with a comprehensive proposal as part of their transition to Morrison later this year.
The proposal addresses most but not all of the priorities that workers have been fighting for since the outsourcing news was announced this summer. The food service workers, many with decades of experience, have been firm in their demands that these jobs remain positions that support workers, their families, and the patients and staff they serve in Rochester, Albert Lea and across Southern Minnesota.
The bargaining team will not be issuing a recommendation for how members should vote, leaving the decision to the SEIU food service workers in Rochester and Albert Lea who would be covered by any agreement. After having time to review the proposal, members will vote on Thursday, January 12th and Friday, January 13th to decide whether to accept the proposal.
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SEIU Healthcare Minnesota unites more than 35,000 healthcare and long-term care workers in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and home care throughout the state of Minnesota.
National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Finds Merit To Charges Against Mayo
SEIU Healthcare Minnesota filed the charges to address Mayo’s “bargaining” tactics
Albert Lea, MN – On December 5, 2016, the National Labor Relations Board General Counsel determined that unfair labor practice charges filed against Mayo Clinic have merit. In particular, the NLRB General Counsel found that Mayo has “failed to bargain in good faith” with SEIU Healthcare Minnesota concerning the skilled maintenance employees working at the hospital in Albert Lea, Minnesota. (more…)
Non-Union Mayo Food Service Workers Employed by Sodexo Vote Overwhelmingly to Join SEIU Healthcare Minnesota
Rochester, Minn — A group of Mayo food service workers currently employed by Sodexo voted overwhelming today to join SEIU Healthcare Minnesota. The vote was conduced over three shifts starting at 6 am and running until 4:30 pm. 89% of the votes were to join SEIU Healthcare Minnesota, with 74% of eligible voters taking part in the election.
Wes Keck, a Sodexo employee who has worked at Mayo doing food service for 17 years, shared why workers are so excited to have won a voice on the job by joining SEIU.
“It is clear from the overwhelming ‘yes’ vote that we are ready to join SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and have a unified voice in the fight to make sure food service jobs stay good jobs,” said Keck. “Many of us have dedicated 10, 15, 20 years to this job, and with all of the changes being proposed by Mayo, it will be good to know that we will now have a seat at the table moving forward. We are excited to be joining together with hundreds of other food service workers who have been standing up and fighting back for what is best for food service workers, our families, and our community.”
Barb Andrew, a 15-year Sodexo employee at Mayo, echoed Keck’s comments as the Sodexo food service workers celebrated their ‘yes’ vote.
“It was hard when Mayo rolled out their plan and we didn’t feel like we had a voice, but we’ve changed that today. We plan on continuing our work to hold Mayo to their promises that our jobs, which are critically important to patients, guests and community members, continue to be jobs that reflect the value and dedication we bring to our work,” said Andrew. “We know it won’t be easy, but we now have a shared voice so that we can fight to make sure the hundreds of families facing the continued fallout from Mayo’s decision can move forward, not backward.”
Jennifer Norgran, a Mayo food service worker and current member of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota, shared excitement that the power of food service workers in Rochester will be growing following the vote.
“The SEIU food service workers at the Mayo have been fighting to keep good jobs in Rochester and we are excited to have the Sodexo food service workers join us as members of SEIU so that we can all be stronger together as we move forward!”
The vote comes as Mayo is moving forward with their controversial plan to outsource 700 food service workers in Minnesota to Morrison, a move that has been met with fierce resistance from workers, Rochester community members and elected officials.
First bargaining dates between Sodexo and SEIU will be scheduled in the coming weeks.
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SEIU Healthcare Minnesota unites more than 35,000 healthcare and long-term care workers in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and home care throughout the state of Minnesota.
Mayo Clinic Health System-Albert Lea Hospital Workers In Washington D.C. For Hearing in Labor Dispute With Mayo
Albert Lea, MN – Two Mayo Clinic Health System Albert Lea maintenance workers are in Washington D.C. today for oral argument with the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board. The Union will be sharing details about the Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges SEIU Healthcare Minnesota filed against Mayo Clinic around their lack of bargaining with the maintenance workers. The maintenance workers and community supporters have held two informational pickets outside of the hospital as part of the dispute.
The group has been working without a contract for over a year as Mayo continues to demand language that would undermine the workers and move the hospital and community in the wrong direction. The unusual situation of the ULP charges being heard directly by the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board is the first time this has happened in the history of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota.
“The fact that the General Counsel of National Labor Relations Board is directly hearing this case is historic for our Union, but not in a good way. This is the first time a ULP brought by SEIU Healthcare MN has been in this situation, which shows how unreasonable Mayo are being in refusing even basic negotiations with a group of workers with decades of experience,” said SEIU Healthcare Minnesota President Jamie Gulley. “Because Mayo continues to refuse to bargain in good faith with these dedicated employees, we find ourselves having to travel to Washington D. C. for a hearing to address Mayo’s intransigence.”
The two Albert Lea Hospital maintenance workers, Nate Johnson and Bill Johnson, will fly out Thursday evening to be part of the hearing on Friday.
“I wish Mayo would just sit down and bargain fairly with us, but they have so far simply said it is their way or the highway. I’ve worked at Mayo for 33 years, and many of my co-workers have decades of dedication in making sure the Albert Lea Hospital stays up and running, but Mayo continues to act as if all that matters is having more control and finding ways to make more money,” said Bill Johnson. “I look forward to the board hearing what is happening, and hope that we can get back to what really matters: bargaining a contract that is good for everyone involved so we can continue our work to make the hospital the best it can be for the Albert Lea community.”
The National Labor Relations Board General Counsel will also hear and consider argument from Mayo. There is no timeline for a ruling.
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SEIU Healthcare Minnesota unites more than 35,000 healthcare and long-term care workers in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and home care throughout the state of Minnesota.
SEIU Expresses Anger and Disbelief as Mayo Now Says They Will Only Offer Food Service Jobs at Current Wages If Union Withdraws ‘Conflict of Interest’ Ethics Complaint
Rochester, Minn — Reversing months of public comments, Mayo Clinic informed SEIU Healthcare Minnesota today that they are making employment at current wages with Morrison for union food service workers contingent on the Union dropping their grievance concerning a possible conflict of interest between a Mayo executive and a Morrison employee. Mayo has refused to even process the grievance that the Union filed in July, something they are required to do by contract. This refusal to follow the contract resulted in the Union filing an Unfair Labor Practice charge last week with the National Labor Relations Board.
Mayo has refused to publicly release any information about the role of Carol Gorman, the executive who was in charge of the department and who was one of the people at the center of the decision. The Union contends that there may have been a conflict of interest with Gorman due to a long standing personal relationship with a Morrison executive. After the decision was made, Gorman was moved out of her role. The Union fully intends to continue the push for transparency to find out the truth about this decision that is upending the lives of hundreds of Rochester families. While still refusing to release this important information publicly, Mayo is now demanding the union withdraw the ethics complaint without any further hearings in order for them to deliver on a basic promise they have been making publicly for months to the 700 food service workers they are planning to outsource.
SEIU President Jamie Gulley shared the anger and disbelief that Mayo is using hardworking food service workers, who bring over 5,000 years of experience to their jobs, as a negotiating chip to keep possible ethic violations under wraps.
“Just when we think that Mayo can’t disrespect the hundreds of workers and their families any more than they already have, they pull this incredibly offensive stunt and go back on months of public statements. We are trying to move forward to find a solution that maintains the high standards for food service at Mayo, but it is hard to do when Mayo seems more concerned with covering their tracks and keeping information from the public that may shine a negative light on how this controversial decision came to be,” said Gulley. “We are unwavering in our belief that Mayo can keep their word and be held to basic standards on both worker fairness and public transparency. Mayo can, and must, ensure food service workers and the patients are treated with the fairness and dignity they deserve. There is no reason this should come at the cost of Mayo sharing the truth about what happened in this process as they are required to do through our contract. The fact that they are pitting transparency versus promises they made to treat their dedicated workers fairly as an either/or is a shame and will not be tolerated.”
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SEIU Healthcare Minnesota unites more than 35,000 healthcare and long-term care workers in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and home care throughout the state of Minnesota.