Sep
4
2025
Minnesota AFL-CIO President Benrie Burnham made the following statement on Wednesday’s ruling by the Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit dismissing a challenge to Minnesota’s 2023 law preventing employers from retaliating against workers who refuse to attend ‘captive audience meetings’ hosted by their employer that push political or religious views or dissuade employees from organizing a union:
“All working people should have the freedom to choose whether to form a union at their workplace without interference or intimidation from their employer.
“The Minnesota AFL-CIO brought the idea for this law to Senator Zaynab Mohamed and Representative Kaela Berg in 2023 after hearing from countless workers about captive audience meetings that effectively doomed attempts to unionize their workplaces.
“We applaud the Court’s decision to dismiss the challenge brought by corporate special interest groups and thank Attorney General Ellison for strongly defending Minnesota state law.
“Going forward, we want working Minnesotans to know the law is on their side should they choose not to attend these meetings, and we urge all Minnesota employers to follow the law and to respect their employees’ freedom of conscience and freedom to organize.”