Minnesota AFL-CIO 2014 Legislative Agenda

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Top Priorities:

WAGES, JOBS, EDUCATION, BUDGET, DIGNITY IN THE WORKPLACE

INCREASING THE MINIMUM WAGE

  • Incrementally raise the minimum wage to at least $8.50 for small business, at least $9.50 for large business, and index it to inflation,
  • Conform state overtime thresholds with existing standards under federal law,
  • Conform to federal 12 week parental leave standards,
  • Conform to federal definition of large and small business,
  • Prohibit employers from taking credit card fees out of servers’ tips, and
  • Preserve Minnesota’s prohibition on the tip penalty.

CREATING JOBS

BONDING AND INFRASTRUCTURE

While Minnesota’s economy is improving, many sectors of our economy are still lagging, particularly construction. When someone is unemployed or underemployed they, their families, and communities suffer. Workers in the building trades and manufacturing saw massive long-term unemployment and underemployment for several years. 

Well-built and maintained infrastructure is critical to the long-term success of Minnesota. Affordable housing is also considered a core component of our public infrastructure, and construction and preservation of that infrastructure should also be financed, in part, through bonding. Buy America provisions should also be included to ensure that our infrastructure projects are built with American-made products. Enacting these key policies will bring everyone along in the economic recovery.

The Minnesota AFL-CIO supports passages of a significant bonding and infrastructure bill in the 2014 legislative session. A bonding bill of $1 billion, including $100 million for affordable housing, will create 28,000 jobs with 7,000-8,000 direct construction jobs. 

TRANSPORTATION

Minnesota’s current transportation system adversely affects our economic competitiveness and quality of life. Our state’s population and job growth is outpacing our current infrastructure, making it harder to move people, goods and services to their next destination.

We must plan now for this expected growth to create job and efficiently move commerce and people.

Businesses need a reliable, efficient transportation and expanding exports and trade with other countries requires updating our infrastructure.

The Minnesota AFL-CIO supports the passage of a comprehensive transportation funding package in the 2014 legislative session that will generate new economic development opportunities throughout the state, help Minnesota retain and attract a talented workforce, create immediate jobs, and keep Minnesota economically competitive.

EDUCATION

  • Pass the Safe & Supportive Minnesota Schools Act 
  • Pass the Health Insurance Transparency & Accountability bill, increasing competition in school employee health care 
  • Pass legislation to limit caseloads and reduce district-mandated special education paperwork 
  • Pass the Site-based Professional Development bill, mandating 50 percent of professional development dollars be allocated to sites

BUDGET

The Minnesota AFL-CIO supports preserving tax policies enacted last session that balanced the budget and made our tax system fairer. Legislators should act cautiously in the 2014 legislative session and keep revenues strong to improve our economy and continue to make Minnesota a better place to live and work for years to come.

The Minnesota AFL-CIO, its affiliates, and community and faith partners, will be working together to make sure progressivity and adequacy of revenues remain a goal in tax decisions. Cutting taxes now risks our ability to fund our priorities, is an ineffective way to grow the state’s economy, and will make the next economic downturn even harder to recover from.

RESTORING DIGNITY IN THE WORKPLACE

Worker Protections

  • Women’s Economic Security Act 
  • Labor Peace legislation 
  • Increase penalties for wage theft 
  • Responsible contracting 
  • Credit privacy in employment act 
  • Protect against any attempts to lower – or “recalculate” – prevailing wage in Minnesota 
  • Call center consumer and worker protections

Other Union Priorities Supported by the Minnesota AFL-CIO

  • 5% increase in rates to community-based services for people with disabilities and older adults (5% Campaign)
  • Payday lending reform
  • Creation of a cancer surveillance system
  • Legalize medical marijuana
  • Restoration of voting rights