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Press Release – Local 49 announces first round of 2012 endorsements for MN Legislative elections
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 49, made up of 13,000 heavy equipment operators working in MN, ND, and SD, wishes to announce our first round of Minnesota State Legislative endorsements for 2012. Our union has three core issues that drive our political activity:
- Infrastructure and construction job creation
- Protection of our right to have a strong and healthy union
- Protection of construction industry standards on safety, wages, health care, and pensions
Our political philosophy is simple:
We will support any candidate, from any party, that is willing to stand with construction workers on the above three (3) core principals.
The bi-partisan nature of the list of current office-holders and candidates that make up our first round of 2012 endorsements demonstrates our commitment to our political philosophy. Read the rest of this entry
How the MN Senate voted on Vikings Stadium Tuesday
MN Senate, on a 38-28 vote, approved a measure to finance a new Vikings stadium. It moves to conference committee due to radical differences in comparison to the bill the MN House passed. Here’s how it broke down – with more Democrats than Republicans supporting the bill as it stood at the time of the roll call: Read the rest of this entry
Scenes from MN State Capitol
Rally for jobs at State Capitol in St. Paul, MN as legislature resumes meeting in session May 3rd.
Canada pleased by pipeline progress
TransCanada’s proposed changes draw praise
There’s momentum building in support of the new route for the Keystone XL Pipeline, as the editorial yesterday in Canada’s “Globe and Mail” highlights.
Approval was delayed when President Obama refused to be pressed into signing off on the project when Republicans tried to force his hand, noting that to do so before final decisions were made about the route would likely open up lawsuits that would possibly further delay the construction.
Meanwhile, TransCanada has quietly pressed ahead with plans to build “to the border” (without securing the politically volatile crossing permit) at the same time as they’ve been working with Nebraska to find a viable alternative route that protects the Sand Hills region of Ogallala aquifer. Click on the map to the right if you want a better view of the area in question. Read the rest of this entry
March 28, at 8:00 AM in Ways & Means, Room 200 MN State Office Building
Rep. Scott’s bill (HF 1476) changing the Mode to the Mean and allowing overtime only after 40 hours total in any 7-day period will be heard.
This is the bad Associated Building Contractors bill.
Business Managers and organizers are trying to get as many people as possible to attend. 49ers need to show our opposition to this yet again by turning out as many members as we possibly can on Wednesday morning.
Yes, it’s short notice – the sponsors would prefer we stay home and let them work without expressing our outrage about cutting our wages.
Background on Prevailing Wage changes is informative, but if you want to argue against it this discussion of why the changes limit the outcomes without saving money is probably the best quick read around.
IUOE will be polling randomly selected members
The International Union of Operating Engineers has contracted with a research firm to conduct a poll in order to gain insight into members’ current political outlook, including their view of the President and other political candidates, as well as 2012 voting intentions.
The poll will also ask how members currently get information about union, economic and political issues, and how they want to be kept informed. There will also be some questions on employment status and job satisfaction.
Read the rest of this entry
Video: Minneapolis Firefighter at State Capitol: Should we have a Right to Work Out?
“Right to Work” isn’t just a union issue
What is a “Right-to-work-out” law?
It’s really not that complicated, although the name is misleading since everybody already has a right to work out — just as we have a right to work. What the special interests are trying to do is say union membership should be free, even though currently nobody is forced to join a union, and the economic boom of the 50s and 60s followed the biggest expansion of unions in the history of the U.S.A.
Gyms charge membership fees, but you don’t have to pay if you just work out at home, or walk in the park (which tax-payers make possible, actually.)
Read the rest of this entry
