FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Max Hall
612-247-3725
Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services Workers Vote Overwhelmingly to Form a Union, Join AFSCME Council 5
St. Paul, MN — In a powerful display of unity and solidarity, more than 70 dedicated staff attorneys, accountants, development and grants workers, support staff, and others at Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS) have overwhelmingly voted to form a union at work and now join AFSCME Council 5! This historic organizing victory marks a major step forward for legal aid workers fighting to improve workplace protections, secure fair compensation, and strengthen their ability to serve vulnerable Minnesotans with dignity and respect. This organizing victory comes after workers at Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid (MMLA) also voted overwhelmingly to join AFSCME Council 5, in a display of purpose and care for the clients and communities they serve.
SMRLS provides free, high-quality legal assistance to low-income individuals and families across 33 counties in Southern Minnesota. Their work spans critical areas such as housing justice, family safety, immigrant rights, and elder law. These professionals all stand on the frontlines of the fight for justice, helping clients navigate a complex legal system, and gain access to life-changing supports.
SMRLS workers have come together to ensure they are treated with the same respect and fairness they fight for every day on behalf of their clients.
“This is a moment of immense pride—not just for the workers at SMRLS, but for our entire union family,” said Bart Andersen, Executive Director of AFSCME Council 5. “These are the workers who hold the line for justice in our communities. They give voice to the voiceless, defend those facing eviction, fight for survivors of abuse, and help people build safer, more stable lives. Their decision to unionize sends a clear message: those who fight for justice deserve justice at work, too."
This vote to form a union follows months of diligent organizing and courageous advocacy by workers who were motivated by a shared desire for greater transparency, fairer workloads, and a meaningful voice in the decisions that affect their clients and careers. As part of AFSCME Council 5, SMRLS workers now join a powerful movement of more than 43,000 public and nonprofit workers across Minnesota who are standing together to improve our workplaces and communities.
"From the beginning of our campaign, we have been driven by the belief that forming a union at SMRLS will allow us to better represent our clients, advocate for ourselves, and robustly pursue the mission-driven work we care deeply about. One of the great joys of forming the union is the opportunity to talk with our coworkers about the things they love about their work, the concerns they have, and the hopes they have for the future of SMRLS. We are excited to have a formal voice in the work we do representing the clients we care about. I am so proud of my colleagues for taking this major step forward", said Peter Murray, a staff attorney within SMRLS' Agricultural Worker Project, which advocates for workers who face wage theft, fraud, discrimination, and retaliation in the agricultural industry.
This victory is part of a broader wave of organizing efforts across the legal aid sector and the nonprofit world, as workers demand the dignity, support, and workplace democracy they need to sustain the life-changing work they do every day. AFSCME Council 5 welcomes the SMRLS staff with open arms and is fully committed to standing shoulder to shoulder with them as they begin bargaining their first contract.
“When workers rise up together to demand a voice, they can reshape their future,” said Andersen. “We are honored to walk with SMRLS workers every step of the way as they build power, protect their values, and continue their essential work for justice."
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