The following column by Ken Martin, DFL Party Chair, was released October 27, 2017:
Our neighboring state of Wisconsin was thrust into the national spotlight in 2010 when Gov. Scott Walker staged an all-out assault on labor unions. Despite protestors flooding the Capitol for nearly three weeks, Walker signed a bill to dramatically curtail collective bargaining rights for public employees.With no power to effectively bargain over workplace rules or salaries, union membership in Wisconsin has dropped by a staggering 40 percent.
Workers in Minnesota have watched what’s happening across the border with grave concern. That concern was unfortunately validated earlier this month when a state legislative panel voted to reject a new contract for nearly 30,000 state employees. The workers belong to Minnesota’s two largest public employee unions, AFSCME and Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE). The proposed contract included modest pay increases, improved health coverage, and expanded benefits.
This decision is not merely a rejection of unions themselves. It is a rejection of hard-working Minnesotans who need and deserve higher wages. It is a rejection of communities across our state who depend on these workers to ensure the safety of their food and water, educate their children, care for their most vulnerable citizens, and provide emergency services in their times of need.
Maintaining high-quality state services requires competitive compensation for state workers. There’s no way around it. As public employees retire, the state needs to recruit and retain the next generation of public employees. Livable wages and quality benefits are critical to this effort.
Minnesota has a strong union tradition. We value fair wages and safe working conditions. We believe workers have a right to a voice on the job and to retire with dignity. But we can’t take this tradition for granted. In fact, Wisconsin itself had a century-old tradition of organized labor before Walker set out to destroy it.
Minnesota cannot become Wisconsin. The recent move by State Republicans is the first step down the anti-worker path Wisconsin has taken. We cannot let our guard down as we work to support unions and empower hardworking Minnesotans. Our families, our communities, and our quality of life depend on it.