(Mn) House Speaker praises strikers for taking stand for fair wages

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Workday Minnesota

By Steve Share

SAVAGE - Striking workers at the Fabcon plant in Savage got a visit Tuesday from Margaret Anderson Kelliher, speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, who told them, “I think what you’re fighting for is important here.”

The workers voted 52-2 Saturday to reject a company contract offer that would have cut their pay by about 30 percent by eliminating the workers’ current pay differential for weekend work. The workers, members of Laborers Local 563, went out on strike yesterday.

“Employers are pushing down on the worker,” Kelliher told about 50 picketers gathered outside the plant early Tuesday morning. “You’re on the front lines of this issue we see almost everywhere in Minnesota.” She urged the workers: “Stay strong on this issue.”

State Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia, was scheduled to join the strikers on the picketline at 6:45 a.m. Wednesday.

Read more: http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?news_6_4427

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FULL story and another photo at link.



The Legislature was scheduled to reconvene Monday after a week-long recess, but House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher took the time to join striking workers the Fabcon plant in Savage at 7:00 a.m. She urged workers to "stay strong" in their stand to protect overtime pay.

Photos by Steve Share



A group of about 50 striking Fabcon workers posed for a photo for House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher.

Related article
Laborers strike Savage manufacturing plant

[Odin2005]

1. K&R!!!

[LynneSin]

2. It's folks like her that make me realize that not all MN politicians are batshit crazy

[geardaddy]

5. That POS has put MN on the map

for crazies, we've got more good ones than bad ones here.

Sen Franken
Rep Ellison
Speaker Anderson-Kelliher
AG Lori Swanson - http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/89945372.html?elr=KArksUUUoDEy3LGDiO7aiU

[happygoluckytoyou]

11. IN A RELATED STORY... teabaggers don't understand how UNDERPAID they are

and with only 2 teeth, you would thing they would get them brushed more often

[Proletariatprincess]

3. What a concept!

An elected representitive of the people actually working in the interests of the people who elected her. wow. Hope that kind of stuff catches on....

[geardaddy]

4. She's running for Gov here

She's done a good job as Speaker, but I'd like to see her as Gov.

[No Elephants]

8. First I've heard of her, but, unless

I hear about something heinous that she's done, I'm sold already.

Things like populism, siding with workers, etc. are long overdue for a "surge" in this country, IMO.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

6. When is the last time a candidate met with striking union members? Fantastic! n/t

[geardaddy]

7. I would guess Wellstone.

Not for gov obviously, but I do think he met with strikers.

[No Elephants]

9. First, cut a crew in half. Next, eliminate overtime pay. Third, provide lousy working conditions.

"In addition to demanding long, unpredictable hours at Fabcon, management also expects fewer workers to do more: “We used to have crews of eight guys. Now they’ve got it down to five or four guys,” said Larry Wermerskirchen, who has worked at Fabcon since 1977."

"Wermerskirchen described work at the Fabcon plant: “Rough working conditions. Dirty. Dusty. Heat and cold.”

"“It’s not easy work… It’s a very dangerous job. We’ve seen many bones broken,” said Tae Kim, Jordan, who has worked 14 years at the plant."

And people wonder why we need strong unions.

[liberation]

13. Exactly!

Kudos for the Speaker for siding with her actual constituents. It pains me to realize that we have devolved to a point that a politician doing her duty, of helping and represent her fellow citizens, is viewed as a momentous occasion. None the less, great news to see a politician doing the right thing.

Many people in this country, including plenty of DUers, feel that the best approach to deal with these sociopathic corporate wolves, is by allowing them to regulate themselves. Talk about being monumentally stupid.

[valerief]

15. OSHA? OSHA? OSHA? Where are you hiding? nt

[avaistheone1]

10. Gotta K&R this thread

for the workers and the speaker.

:kick:

[PJPhreak]

12. K&R! nt

[kiva]

14. Good for her - supporting labor should be one of the

basis tenets for Democrats.

[DesertDiamond]

16. I'm so proud of Minnesota and its reps! My dad grew up there, and knowing him it seems fitting that

Minnesota Congresspeople would stand up for the common people. Right on!!

[ipfilter]

17. Solidarity to the striking workers. nt

[blackbooks]

18. Solidarity

Good luck and much love from your brothers and sisters in AFSCME local 753.

And well done to Speaker Kelliher.

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[zogofzorkon]

20. Actually it is the company making demands and arbitrary salary cuts,

the workers are refusing to comply. You also are under the mistaken notion that unemployment is a benefit program and not an insurance program paid for by payroll deductions. Further you seem to think that labor is menial work with all that the word implies. Loaded words such as reeducate and shackles end your post on the same supportive note.

If Fabcon picked up and left for a state supportive of labor slavery I would like to see some federal action preventing the company's products being used in federal government funded contract. It would also be nice if those who do not labor for their livelihood but have no respect for those who must would have a board broken across their sorry asses.

[Brickbat]

21. She and Rukavina are running for governor. I bet Tommy fired 'em up.

Solidarity to the Fabcon laborers!