Saint Paul, MN – Immigrant rights activists protested outside Senator Franken's campaign office Sept. 11, to send the message, “No more deportations, no more delays, no more excuses.” After demonstrating outside, they marched into the office and presented their demands to three Franken campaign staff members. Several community members spoke passionately to the Franken representatives. They said Franken should make a public statement reversing himself and calling for Obama to take executive action now to stop deportations. The Franken staff members said they would pass what people said on to the senator.

The protest was organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC). They protested Franken, a Democratic Party senator, because last week he and a few other Democratic senators publicly told Obama to delay taking executive action to stop deportation of immigrants. Because of the inability to move any pro-immigrant legislation through Congress and mounting immigrant rights protests around the country, Obama had promised to take executive action by the end the summer. But because of the Democratic senators' statements at the 11th hour, presumably prompted by election-season jitters, Obama announced he would once again delay action needed to stop deportations at least until after the November election.

MIRAC member Brad Sigal said, “You can always come up with reasons to delay taking action for justice. If it’s not elections, it’s something else. But the time is now to stop deportations – no more delays, no more excuses. More than 1000 people are deported every day, so this delay means 60,000 more people will be deported, on top of the 2 million people already deported under this administration. Minnesota can’t wait. We call on Senator Franken to join us in telling President Obama to take executive action to stop the deportations now.”

#SaintPaulMN #deportations #AlFranken #MIRAc #BarackObama #MinnesotaImmigrantRightsActionCommittee

Minneapolis, MN – Sept. 10 marked day 6 of the strike by University of Minnesota AFSCME. Picket lines remain strong as does worker participation in the strike. The strike is having a growing impact on the University of Minnesota.

The dental school and veterinarian teaching hospital are losing hundreds of thousands in patient revenue every week. While these clinics are not closed, they are only taking emergent patients. The opening of the Equine Center has been delayed until the end of the strike.

Food and supplies were turned away from loading docks as Teamster drivers honored picket lines. Law school interviews that had been scheduled for this week were moved off campus as law firms choose to honor AFSCME picket lines. Minnesota Senate Candidate Al Franken addressed a crowd of striking workers at noon today and encouraged them to keep fighting.

Tuesday and Wednesday will mark a “Teachout in Solidarity with Striking Workers” from 10a.m. until 3p.m. at the Oak Street Cinema, 309 Oak Street SE. In addition, 154 classes representing 4500 students will be held off campus on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Sept. 11 is Teamster Tuesday on the picket lines. U of M Teamster members are encouraged to join striking AFSCME workers on the picket lines during their non-working hours. Expressions of support as well as donations to the U of M AFSCME support fund continue to pour in from throughout the country.

On Friday, in a letter addressed to President Bruininks and the Board of Regents, state Representatives Tom Rukavina, chair of the House Higher Education Finance Committee and Mary Murphy, Chair of the House Education Finance Committee wrote in part, “It is sad that we have to write this letter. We are deeply disappointed that thousands of University employees have been forced onto the picket lines due to the unwillingness of the University administration to provide adequate contact settlements for its clerical, technical and health care workers. For the first time in many years, the Minnesota Legislature provided the University with a generous 3.25% salary supplement. We expected those funds to be used to benefit all University employees. We can’t understand how you can justify your minuscule offer of 2.25% on the salary schedule for your hard working, dedicated employees.”

In a separate letter, Margaret Anderson Kelliher, Speaker of the Minnesota House wrote, “During the 2007 legislative session, the legislature appropriated funds to the University of Minnesota after lengthy committee discussion with the implicit intent of a reasonable salary supplement to improve the standard of living of workers facing inflationary pressures. Frontline workers at the University of Minnesota deserve respect and a fair contract. I encourage you to bring your negotiators back to the table with additional resources and to find a compromise that honors those workers that serve the University of Minnesota, its students and the public”

AFSCME Local 3800 President, Phyllis Walker said, “Our strike is having a tremendous impact on the University of Minnesota. Student services are impacted and faculty and administrators are being forced to answer phones and make copies instead of teaching and planning. The State legislature allocated enough money to the University for a reasonable salary settlement. We call on the administration to be good stewards of the public trust and come to the bargaining table today with a fair offer. AFSCME is ready to get back to the work of education. We hope the U administration is ready to do the same.”

#TwinCitiesMN #MinneapolisMN #News #UniversityOfMinnesotaStrike2007 #AFSCME3800 #AFSCMELocal3937 #AlFranken #RepMargaretAndersonKelliher #Strikes

Minneapolis, MN – Amid cheering striking workers, students and faculty, Elizabeth Edwards, wife of presidential candidate John Edwards, spoke in support of University of Minnesota clerical, technical and health care workers, Sept. 5. The rally was one of the high points in the first day of the strike.

Edwards was followed by SEIU Local 26 president Javier Morrello. Joe Rofler, president of the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees spoke and donated $5000 to the U of M Workers Support fund.

AFSCME Council 5 pledged the support of tens of thousands of AFSCME members in Minnesota. Additional messages of solidarity were received from AFA, ATU 1005 and Teamsters Local 120. A group of teamsters carried a banner reading, “Rank and file teamsters support AFSCME strike.”

Al Franken visited picket lines around campus this morning accompanied by ‘Stuart Smalley’ who offered strikers the to join him in the affirmation, “I’m good enough, I’m strong enough and gosh darn it I deserve a fair contract.”

In addition many members of the campus community attended the rally including professors, civil service staff and students. The enthusiastic support was welcomed by strikers. One striking worker said, “All of this support is tremendously powerful, it helps keep me strong on the picket line. I want people to understand why I am on strike, I am not striking to buy a Lexus, I am striking to be able to survive.”

The strike is having a tremendous impact all over campus. Just a few examples are:

Veterinary Medicine – St. Paul Campus:

The Veterinary Teaching Hospital and Clinics are virtually shut down and are only accepting emergent patients. At least 50% of the University of Minnesota’s veterinary technicians walked off work today, leaving some 15 specialty clinics and the animal hospital open only for emergency calls. Clinic appointments scheduled through the week of Sept. 17 have been canceled due to the lack of technicians to provide care. Inexperienced students are being asked to take over technical responsibilities.

School of Dentistry – East Bank Minneapolis Campus:

The school of dentistry clinics were reduced to one floor of clinics. Without AFSCME Local 3260 dental assistants, lab technicians and dental hygienists, two floors of dental clinics in Moos Tower have consolidated to one floor. Healthcare employees interview patients and assist teeth cleaning, as well as fabricate dentures and crowns.

Bursar’s Offices – West Bank Minneapolis Campus and St. Paul Campus:

With the absence of AFSMCE clerical workers, the Bursar's offices on the West bank and St. Paul areas are closed for the duration of the strike.

Anderson and Wilson Libraries – West Bank Minneapolis Campus

Anderson Library is cleared of technical and clerical workers. Anderson holds eight special collections and archives units and is the central office of the MINITEX Library Information Network. Staff at Wilson Library, the main West Bank library, is significantly reduced. No books leave a U of M Library without touching an AFSMCE worker.

911 Dispatchers – Twin Cities Campus:

Without AFSCME police dispatchers, University of Minnesota police cannot handle the computerized dispatch system. Minneapolis dispatchers are also AFSCME and are handling 911 calls for the U of M only. Normal dispatch operations cannot be fulfilled.

Facilities Management – Twin Cities Campus

The facilities management emergency call center is cleared of employees. The call center answers problems with building maintenance such as elevator malfunctions and electricity failures.

#TwinCitiesMN #MinneapolisMN #UniversityOfMinnesotaStrike2007 #AFSCMELocal3800 #AFSCMELocal3937 #AlFranken #ElizabethEdwards #Strikes