For Immediate Release:  Wednesday, March 25, 2025
Contact: Ashley Erickson, (507) 450-5511 [email protected] or Max Hall, (612) 247-3725 [email protected]

St Paul, MN – More than 36,000 state employees were shocked to receive notice Tuesday afternoon that Governor Tim Walz is calling his workers back to the office for 50% of their working hours starting June 1, 2025.

The Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 5, which together represent nearly 40,000 state workers across Minnesota, denounce Gov. Walz’s unilateral decision to revoke teleworking agreements in place for state workers across Minnesota. 

AFSCME Council 5 Executive Director Bart Andersen said, “Let me be perfectly clear: as Executive Director of AFSCME Council 5, representing more than 18,000 state employees, we will not tolerate unilateral changes to our members’ work. The Administration’s decision to impose sweeping workplace policy changes without engaging our union and labor partners first is not just unacceptable—it’s an act of blatant disrespect. Our union members must have and deserve a seat at the table every step of the way. We are demanding full transparency and meaningful dialogue immediately. AFSCME Council 5, alongside our fellow labor union partners, will do whatever it takes to defend our members’ rights, safeguard their ability to work safely and effectively, and continue delivering high-quality public services for all Minnesotans.”

“I am appalled and disgusted to see Governor Walz attempting to claw back telework agreements under the guise of ‘organic collaboration’ and ‘stewardship of office space,’” MAPE President Megan Dayton said. “Let’s call this what it really is: This is a unilateral move by a bad boss without consultation or consideration of the very staff he claims to care deeply about investing in. I never thought the same public worker attacks and micromanaging mannerisms of our federal administration would be mirrored in Minnesota. For administrators to unleash this kind of chaos on hard working employees when we’re about to start negotiating our next contract feels, at best, hypocritical, at mid, a strategic effort to erode the progress we’ve made to enhance our working conditions and productivity, and at worst, a short-sighted attempt at engineered attrition.”

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Our Message to AFSCME Members:

The Governor announced a big change in the state's telework policy that will affect our union members. The change will affect workers in most state agencies and require them to work in-person for at least 50% of scheduled workdays beginning June 1, 2025. The policy change also provides an exemption for employees who live more than 75 miles away from their primary work location.

We wanted to give you the facts as we know them right now and how your union is asserting our rights immediately and advocating for our members every step of the way.

We are committed to protecting your rights and ensuring your voice is heard in the process. 

That is why your union exists: To fight for you and your rights!

Action:

IF YOU TELEWORK - Please click this link and SHARE YOUR STORY and tell us how teleworking is a benefit to you so we can amplify your story. Direct Link: https://www.afscmemn.org/share-your-story. Our Communications staff will follow-up with you to hear your story and share it. 

Here’s what your union is doing right now to advocate for affected state workers:

• Requesting Crucial Data: We have already submitted a data request to the employer to obtain the exact list of affected workers and from which agencies. Getting these details is critical in understanding the full impact on our members and our ways forward. 

• Member Communications: We will keep sending updates to state employees, making it clear that we are engaged on this issue and that we will not allow decisions to be made without our members’ voices at the table. The employer's unilateral decision is unacceptable and disrespectful.

• Meeting With MMB: We have a meeting scheduled with Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) tomorrow, where we will assert our members' concerns and ideas and fight for a fair process that respects and protects the rights of our members who telework. We will also stress our continued frustration with our members not being brought into policy-making decisions on the front-end. 

We will remain vigilant and stand up for your rights. Even for those who do not telework, it is important that we are in solidarity with one another because any other policy changes could affect you or other workers, too, at any point in the future. 

AFSCME Council 5 Executive Director Bart Andersen said: 

"Let me be perfectly clear: as Executive Director of AFSCME Council 5, representing more than 18,000 state employees, we will not tolerate unilateral changes to our members’ work. The Administration’s decision to impose sweeping workplace policy changes without engaging our union and labor partners first is not just unacceptable—it’s an act of blatant disrespect. Our union members must have and deserve a seat at the table every step of the way. We are demanding full transparency and meaningful dialogue immediately. AFSCME Council 5, alongside our fellow labor union partners, will do whatever it takes to defend our members’ rights, safeguard their ability to work safely and effectively, and continue delivering high-quality public services for all Minnesotans."

If you receive any information related to these changes—emails, notices, or official communications from your management—please forward them to your Council 5 Field Representative. Keeping us informed will help us address problems more quickly and effectively. If you do not know your Field Rep, call our Member Action Center M-F; 8am-5pm.

Thank you for your support and your dedication to public service! Together, we're union strong.