Saint Paul, MN – Over 200 immigrants’ rights supporters drove out a dozen anti-immigrant ‘Minutemen’ as they tried to rally at the Minnesota state capitol building on the Fourth of July. According to Erika Zurawski, an organizer of the pro-immigrants’ rights rally, “The racist Minutemen tried to show their faces here, and we outnumbered them twenty to one. They left after a half hour without even being able to hold a rally or press conference at the capitol, as they had planned. We were chanting ‘Minutemen go home!’ and they did! Everyone at our rally was so inspired when they decided to just drive away.”
St Paul, MN – Minnesota Coalition for a People’s Bail Out organized a picket line at the Minnesota Department of Revenue Building, where Governor Pawlenty proposed his plan to address the $5.2 billion budget deficit, Jan. 27.
St Paul, MN – At a Labor Day press conference, University of Minnesota AFSCME leaders blasted attempts by the employer to inflict a lousy contract on university workers. AFSCME workers then marched in the Saint Paul Area Trades and Labor Assembly Labor Day parade to raise awareness of the economic injustice at the University of Minnesota.
St Paul, MN – An increasing number of local labor unions are speaking out against a possible war with Iraq. The following is a speech given by the president of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3800, Phyllis Walker, at an anti-war rally Oct. 26, 2002 at the Minnesota State Capitol. More than 10,500 people attended that rally.
St Paul, MN – 1000 public employees and supporters rallied at City Hall, August 25, to oppose Mayor Coleman's “Compete St. Paul” privatization plan. This scheme is designed to turn over taxpayer money to private companies, allowing them to profit from providing city services.
St. Paul, MN – Low-income people from around Minnesota are carrying out a powerful fightback against anti-poor politicians at the State Capitol. Reactionary legislators launched a wave of attacks against families on public assistance. Republicans, led by Rep. Goodno of Moorhead, are pushing bills that call for 100% sanctions on welfare.
St. Paul, MN - More than 100 low-income protesters laid siege to the office of Reform Party Governor, Jesse Ventura, on April 23. Organizers from the Minnesota Welfare Rights Coalition demanded Ventura address the disaster caused by the new welfare reform program, the Minnesota Family Investment Plan (MFIP).
St. Paul, MN – Low-income people from across Minnesota packed the State Capitol Building rotunda on January 5, to demand that politicians undo the attacks on welfare. The rally, which drew well over 100 people, was organized by the Minnesota Welfare Rights Coalition and timed to coincide with the opening of the State Legislature.
St. Paul, MN – Low income people from cities across Minnesota confronted Commissioner Dave Doth, of the Department of Human Services on December 11. Leaders of the Minnesota Welfare Rights Coalition told Doth, that Minnesota's new welfare program, MFIP-S is a disaster for poor people. Demands were placed on the Department, which is responsible for the state's welfare programs.
St Paul, MN - The Minnesota Welfare Rights Coalition (MN-WRC) put Michael O'Keefe, the state commissioner of Human Services, in the hot seat on December 3.
