4/17/2021

Saint Paul, MN – Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation President Kera Peterson released the following statement regarding the Minnesota National Guard’s use of the Saint Paul Labor Center this week:

The Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation represents working people with a wide range of lived experiences and a great diversity of perspectives. Disagreements are not uncommon in the labor community. The presence of Minnesota National Guard troops, deployed in response to the police killing of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, has sparked varied and valid reactions from across our federation.

I want to address our federation’s involvement in the National Guard’s use of the Saint Paul Labor Center earlier this week, and also express my regret over the circumstances under which they left the facility. Whether you agree with their deployment or not, Minnesota’s National Guard members deserved better than the treatment they received Wednesday night. Guard members didn’t make the decision to deploy into Saint Paul. The decision they made was to step up in service to their state and their nation. I offer them my apology.

While I was not involved in discussions with the National Guard, I was aware that Labor Center leaders planned to extend an invitation to access our shared building during a potential deployment. It was my mistake not to communicate this information to our affiliate unions earlier. Doing so would have allowed for a dialogue among our union family and given stakeholders a chance to talk through their concerns before they spilled over into a protest.

Guard members’ presence in the Labor Center became a topic of discussion at our Executive Board meeting Wednesday evening, but no formal action was taken. I did not communicate with the National Guard before or after the meeting, nor with a group of union members as they began protesting outside the building. I regret not creating space for a dialogue within our federation that could have prevented this situation.

At the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation, we will not let what divides us derail the critical work ahead. The strength of our labor movement is in unity, and we will not back down from the fight to advance our shared priorities – economic fairness, racial justice and strong, vibrant communities.

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The Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, unites over 100 local unions representing more than 60,000 working people in Ramsey, Washington, Dakota and Chisago counties.