Minnesota’s Labor Movement awarded AFL-CIO’s George Meany–Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award
At its 30th Constitutional Convention in Minneapolis, the AFL-CIO, the federation of 65 national and international labor unions that represent nearly 15 million working people, awarded Minnesota’s Labor Movement the 2025 George Meany–Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award for union and union members’ actions during “Operation Metro Surge.”
"This year, our Minnesota union brothers, sisters and siblings showed us the best of the labor movement—and of this country," said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. "Their communities were terrorized from the highest levels of government: families traumatized, cities under a siege that ground daily life to a halt, living under the constant threat of violence from federal agents. Their worst fears came true when those agents murdered their neighbors in the street, including our union brother, AFGE member and VA nurse, Alex Pretti. In the face of that horror, Minnesotans showed us what real solidarity looks like. They showed up and took care of each other. They built mutual aid networks and marched in subzero weather. They trained as union peacekeepers and refused to be intimidated out of a relentless commitment to their neighbors and to the belief that Americans could be better than what the Trump administration painted us to be. The Minnesota labor movement inspired the nation, and all of us, and I could not be more proud to honor them at our 30th AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention."
The award, shared this year with the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions, is presented unions, labor groups, and individuals who fight for human rights around the world.
“Putting solidarity into action when a hostile federal government invades your community is not something any of us expected we would need to do when we joined the Labor Movement,” said Minnesota AFL-CIO President Bernie Burnham. “But when that moment came and Operation Metro Surge descended into Minnesota communities, urban, suburban, and rural, our Labor Movement stepped up like never before. Union members opened their homes and union halls and Labor’s Community Services resources were transformed into legal defense and mutual aid for workers and families caught in the raids. Rank-and-file members sounded the alarm, stewards and local leaders educated members about what was at stake, and union activists stood shoulder to shoulder with community members defending constitutional rights. Minnesota became a test case for whether fear and division could overcome solidarity. Instead, working people proved that when one community is under attack, the entire Labor Movement responds.”
“The people of Minneapolis are resilient, and our local ecosystem of care is stronger than ever. Working people across our region were targets of a racist, violent, and, so far, unaccountable armed force sent by our own federal government,” said Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation President Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou. We lost a union brother. We lost a neighbor. Our community’s children have been traumatized. Entire neighborhoods went into hiding. Families were split apart. We are still healing. We still have union members and neighbors detained in horrific conditions. We still bear witness to chained neighbors being loaded on ICE flights out of MSP Airport to this very day. But amidst it all, our labor siblings from across the country and world have been watching, reaching out, collaborating, supporting, and listening. Our solidarity has made all the difference. Our solidarity is our strength. I am so proud to welcome America’s labor movement to our beloved Minneapolis.”
"The world watched as Minnesotans joined together last winter to protect our neighbors and defend our democracy, and local unions and federated labor bodies, through their organizing work, helped build power and solidarity to meet that moment,” said Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation President Kera Peterson. “The AFL-CIO being in the Twin Cities and honoring our state’s Labor Movement is an exciting opportunity for our nation’s union movement to find inspiration and advance the coalition work that will meet the challenges ahead for working people across the country.”