News

From: Dayton Media <[email protected]>
Date: June 27, 2018 at 9:51:12 AM CDT
To: Dayton Media <[email protected]>
Subject: RELEASE: Statement from Governor Dayton on the US Supreme Court’s Ruling in Janus v. AFSCME

Seal State of Minnesota


OFFICE OF GOVERNOR MARK DAYTON

 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 27, 2018
 
Contact: Matt Swenson
651-201-34
41 office
[email protected]
 
Statement from Governor Dayton on the US Supreme Court’s Ruling in Janus v. AFSCME
 
ST. PAUL, MN – Today, Governor Mark Dayton issued the following statement regarding the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Janus v. AFSCME.
 
“The US Supreme Court’s decision today in the case of Janus v. AFSCME is appalling. Its determination that fair share union fees somehow violate the US Constitution is just the kind of terrible ‘Judicial Activism,’ which some Justices profess to deplore.
 
"The benefits provided by a union to employees who elect not to join it are enormous. They receive the same better wages, safer working conditions, and stronger job protections as do union members. It is only fair that they should share in paying for the benefits that they receive."
 
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Office of Governor Mark Dayton, Communications Department
130 State Capitol, 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155 

T: 651-201-3400 | [email protected]

Here are 10 things to love about your union on Valentine's Day — and every day of the year: 

The most pro-worker president in our lifetimes delivered the most pro-worker State of the Union address in recent memory.

Here are just a few highlights from President Joe Biden’s Tuesday night speech:

1. On the remarkable job growth of the last two years: 12 million new jobs are more than any previous president has created in four years in office. “Jobs are coming back, pride is coming back, because choices we made in the last several years,” Biden said.

In January 1993, Joann Mapp shared a powerful message on a conference call with newly elected President Bill Clinton. Mapp, a keypunch operator at the Philadelphia City Police Department and a member of AFSCME Local 1637 (District Council 33), was a single mother to 5-year-old twins.

The following is adapted from remarks delivered by President Saunders at the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor’s Martin Luther King Day Breakfast on January 14, 2023.

Union family, it’s a great honor to spend this special day with you, as we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as we reflect on his sacrifice and recommit to his work.

Thanks to efforts by the Biden administration and AFSCME, many public service workers, including AFSCME members, have seen their student loans forgiven under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.

Many AFSCME members work in high-stress fields such as public safety, health care, emergency medical services and firefighting. Their jobs have become even more stressful since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced many of these workers to put their and their families’ well-being at risk while serving their communities.

But when these everyday heroes face mental health issues as a result of the high-stress environment and duties that expose them to trauma, they are often expected to deal with such challenges on their own.

It’s time to change that.

The last two years have been full of challenges.

But under the leadership of the Biden administration and this Congress, we are turning a corner. There have been unprecedented investments in public services and public service jobs. Millions will see the price of life-saving prescription drugs come down. Millions more will receive relief from unfair student debt. And the wealthy are finally starting to pay their fair share.

To be sure, there is more work to be done. But if we continue this progress, we will have many more reasons to be optimistic about the future.

Faced with the management’s refusal to remedy unfair labor practices and address workers’ major priorities during contract negotiations, AFSCME Local 397 (District Council 47) – the Philadelphia Museum of Art Union (PMAU) – began a museum-wide strike Monday.