Labor

Labor

January 1, 2010| Posted in Issue Briefs, Labor

The Vision:

I strongly believe in the dignity of all work. My campaign is founded on the idea that we can only rebuild a strong Minnesota economy if we focus on the bottom lines of families; not just corporations. Therefore, it is necessary that all workers be paid livable wages, and have access to affordable health care and a secure retirement. And everyone should have the right to join a union and bargain collectively.

The Details:

Our first priority must be getting Minnesotans back to work. In my Economy section I outline my plan for improving the economy of this state. But it is not enough to get people back to work – we need jobs a family can live on. Throughout my career as a legislator I have been a proud supporter of organized labor.  As I travel around Minnesota I have stopped in numerous labor temples and union halls and talked with a variety of organized workers.  The Minnesota Nurses Association (which represents over 20,000 nurses in Minnesota) endorsed my campaign for governor.

In my first term as governor I will focus on:

Prevailing Wage Enforcement: As governor, I will make sure that our state agencies are led by individuals committed to the strict enforcement of our laws and who are working with the best interests of all workers in mind.  I will also make sure that the state agencies have the resources needed, technological, financial and human, to protect the wages of workers.

Penalties for Non-Compliance:We need to impose meaningful penalties for prevailing wage violations so that they act as an effective deterrent. Too often employers are no worse off for having violated prevailing wage laws then they would be had they paid the wages initially.

Wage-Reporting Database:I will pursue a mandatory wage-reporting database that would increase enforcement and reduce the legal costs of unions pursuing actions against employers.  This will drastically lower the legal costs of labor organizations that are forced to bring employers to court in order to receive the salary documentation to which they are entitled.