News Releases

Statement on Child Care Ruling

AFSCME Council 5 — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:56:18 -0400

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 6, 2012 download PDF
CONTACT: Jennifer Munt, 651-357-8544

PRO-UNION CHILD CARE PROVIDERS FORGE AHEAD

(St. Paul, MN) – Today, Ramsey County District Judge Dale Lindman overturned Governor Dayton’s executive order giving certain child care providers the right to decide for themselves whether or not to join a union. AFSCME Council 5 spokesperson, Jennifer Munt, responded with the following statement.

“This ruling is disappointing, but not unexpected. Right-wing legislators and their tea-party allies sued to score political points. Their victory denies child care providers their democratic right to vote.

“A union exists wherever workers pull together with a common purpose. We’re united to increase the quality of child care, to improve access for working parents, and to stabilize our profession. No judge or politician can stop that.”

Child Care Providers Together/AFSCME has partnered with Rep. Nora Slawik and Sen. Mary Jo McGuire to restore Republican cuts to early care and education. Yesterday, all but one Republican senator voted against the Child Care Affordability Act when Sen. Mary Jo McGuire offered it as an amendment to the Omnibus Health and Human Services Bill.

The Child Care Affordability Act:

Restores cuts to child care providers and ensures that providers are reimbursed at 75 percent of the fair market rate
Reinstates funding for professional development of child care providers
Eliminates the waiting list of 7,000 families waiting for child care assistance in order for them to go to work

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Day on the Hill 2012

AFSCME Council 5 — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 21:00:21 -0400

FOR RELEASE: March 26, 2012 download PDF
CONTACT: Jennifer Munt, 651-357-8544

AFSCME Council 5 Day-on-the-Hill:
Rally in Rotunda at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 27

Members of AFSCME Council 5 – one of Minnesota’s largest and most politically active unions – will come to the State Capitol Tuesday to share concerns about constitutional amendments that would harm working families and threaten the future of Minnesota.

State of the State Reaction

AFSCME Council 5 — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:18:15 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE download PDF
February 15, 2012

Contact: Katharine Tinucci
651.201.3441 office
651-368-0086 cell
katharine.tinucci@state.mn.us

Minnesota Responds: State Employees Join Governor Dayton’s Call for Government Redesign

Saint Paul – Following Governor Dayton’s State of the State Address, leadership from the two largest state employee unions praised his call for improving government services.

Child Care Affordability Act

AFSCME Council 5 — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:19:55 -0500

For Immediate Release download PDF
February 14, 2012

Contact: Donald McFarland
Phone: 651-308-8098

REP. NORA SLAWIK AND SEN. MARY JO MCGUIRE ANNOUNCE THE CHILD CARE AFFORDABILITY ACT

The Child Care Affordability Act will benefit Minnesota’s children by providing child care to thousands of families

St. Paul, MN – On Tuesday, February 14th Rep. Nora Slawik was joined by Senator Mary Jo McGuire, child care providers, parents and Child Care Works at the home of child care provider Mary Albert to announce the Child Care Affordability Act.

AFSCME to testify on bill that attacks collective bargaining rights

AFSCME Council 5 — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:49:04 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 13, 2012 download PDF
CONTACT: Jennifer Munt, 651-357-8544

AFSCME OPPOSES REP. DOWNEY’S BILL TO STRIP STATE EMPLOYEES OF THEIR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS

On Wednesday morning, AFSCME Council 5 Director Eliot Seide will testify against HF2033, Rep. Keith Downey’s so-called “Equal Pay and Benefits Act.” The proposed legislation would supersede Minnesota’s Public Employment Labor Relations Act and harm unionized state employees by rolling back pay equity, stripping their collective bargaining rights, and preventing any new negotiated contract from being implemented.

REPUBLICANS “AT PLAY” WHILE FAMILY CHILD CARE PROVIDERS ARE CARING FOR CHILDREN OF WORKING PARENTS

AFSCME Council 5 — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:19:18 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: download PDF
February 9, 2012

CONTACTS:

Karen Louise Boothe
SEIU MN State Council
Communications Director
Ph: 651-203-0401x15 C: 612-423-4615
KLBoothe@SEIUMN.org

Jennifer Munt
AFSCME Council 5
Public Affairs Director
651-357-8544
Jennifer.Munt@afscmemn.org

Republicans now want to tell providers how to spend their hard-earned income

Saint Paul, MN – In-home family child care providers in Minnesota are busy caring for the children of working parents while Republicans at the state capitol are “at play,” with legislation that would only serve to harm small business childcare providers by trying to control how they spend their own hard-earned dollars.

AFSCME: Right to Work for Less is Wrong for Minnesota

AFSCME Council 5 — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:31:27 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 2, 2011 download PDF
CONTACT: Jennifer Munt, 651-357-8544

AFSCME Council 5 director Eliot Seide issued the following statement in response to another divisive constitutional amendment proposed today by tea party extremists, state Senator Dave Thompson (R-Lakeville) and state Representative Steve Drazkowski (R-Mazeppa), who want to make Minnesota a “right to work” state with fewer jobs and lower wages:

Right to Work for Less is Wrong for MN

AFSCME Council 5 — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:45:11 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 26, 2011 download PDF
CONTACT: Jennifer Munt , 651-357-8544

AFSCME Council 5 director Eliot Seide issued the following statement in response to a bogus study released today by the Center for the American Experiment, a conservative think tank backed by secret corporate donors who want to make Minnesota a low-wage “right to work” state:

AFSCME: “Obama is the only choice for the 99%”

AFSCME Council 5 — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:25:50 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 24, 2011 download PDF
CONTACT: Jennifer Munt , 651-357-8544

AFSCME Minnesota Council 5 director Eliot Seide issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s State of the Union speech tonight.

Child Care Providers Speak Out Against Scare Tactics

AFSCME Council 5 — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:01:56 -0500

FOR RELEASE: December 14, 2011 download PDF
CONTACT: Jennifer Munt, 651-357-8544

Child care providers call for a voice and a vote

On Thursday morning, Minnesota child care providers will speak out against the scare tactics being used by Republican legislators to persuade them to vote against a union. In the latest attempt to scare and bully child care providers, Republican legislators sent a letter to child care providers in their districts that contains false information and misrepresents Gov. Dayton’s Executive Order.