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Donating blood is its own reward, as each pint of donated blood can save up to three lives. But this year, donating blood comes with an added benefit to the community.

The American Red Cross is testing all blood, platelet and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies. Plasma from donations that test positive for the antibodies may help current coronavirus patients in need of convalescent plasma transfusions.

The need for blood is constant, but with so much uncertainty during the pandemic, blood banks are having difficulty meeting the need.

Healthy union members are encouraged to donate blood during a labor blood drive Dec. 1, from noon to 6 p.m. at the St. Paul Labor Center, 353 W. 7th St. The drive is co-sponsored by the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation’s nonprofit Labor Studies and Resource Center, Greater Twin Cities United Way and the American Red Cross.

The Red Cross follows the highest standards of safety and infection control, including temperature checks, mask requirements and social distancing. No walk-in donations are allowed.

Please schedule an appointment in advance by clicking here, or by contacting Erica Dalager Reed, AFL-CIO Community Services liaison, at edalager [at] stpaulunions [dot] org, or 651-222-3787, ext. 120.

After devoting countless hours of volunteer service to the Saint Paul Labor Studies and Resource Center (LSRC), Erica Dalager Reed now works for the organization as an AFL-CIO Community Services liaison.

Dalager Reed, a member of Local 277 of the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) for the last 20 years, accepted a position with the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation’s nonprofit arm last month, and she began work in her new position Oct. 12.

“I look forward to working with labor and our community at large to create coalitions and foster a culture of growth, giving and contribution,” Dalager Reed said.

The AFL-CIO Community Services Program represents a 70-year partnership between organized labor and Greater Twin Cities United Way.

Community Services volunteers and staff improve the lives of working families by working with broad and diverse coalitions to promote dignity and economic justice for workers. They also empower workers and their unions to make their communities better, more responsive places to live, work, raise a family and retire.

As a Community Services liaison, Dalager Reed’s work will focus on union member outreach and assistance, utilizing Greater Twin Cities United Way’s wide range of services and resources, as well as program expansion, fundraising and other initiatives set forth by the Regional Labor Federation.

“Coretta Scott King said, ‘The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members,’” Dalager Reed said. “Labor unions and our fellow union members have been pivotal in creating and contributing to the prosperity of our communities, and I want to assist in any way I can to ensure that narrative continues.”

Dalager Reed, a resident of Lakeland, has represented OPEIU Local 277 as a delegate to the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation for over 10 years, during which time she has also served as a Labor Community Action Committee member.

Prior to accepting a position with the LSRC, Dalager Reed worked as a public relations consultant. She has been active in the East Metro community as a disability advocate and as executive director of a Lutheran congregation in St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood.

“Erica’s roots in the East Metro run deep, and she brings a vast network of connections inside and outside the labor community that will serve our movement well,” Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation President Kera Peterson said. “With Erica on staff, I am confident the Saint Paul Labor Studies and Resource Center will continue to play a critical role in making our communities livable, welcoming places for all people.”

The Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation is pleased to announce the hiring of Jasmine Kitto, who began work as a political organizer Oct. 1.

In her new role, Kitto will work in collaboration with the Regional Labor Federation’s 100-plus affiliate unions, engaging union members to help advance labor’s political initiatives and advocate for worker-friendly policies at all levels of government.

“I look forward to meeting and building relationships with the working people who make up the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation’s broad coalition of unions,” Kitto said. “Helping our affiliated unions continue to be the space where members achieve political power and shape the ways in which their workspaces run is something I’m really excited to do.”

As a home care worker for the past 15 years, Kitto has seen firsthand the power of joining together in a union. She joined SEIU Healthcare Minnesota three years ago, after a dispute with her employer over paid time off. Kitto filed a grievance, won back her PTO and made the decision to get more involved in her union.

Since then, she has volunteered to help get union members to the polls, lobbied at the Capitol and served on her union’s bargaining committee, which negotiated better wages and working conditions for more than 25,000 home care workers statewide. And as a home care organizer for the last two and a half years, Kitto has helped enlist more home care workers to make their union stronger.

“Coming out of one of the lowest-paying jobs in the state of Minnesota, I am drawn to this work because everyone deserves to be able to make a living wage and have the best working conditions,” Kitto said. “And I feel it is all of our responsibility as a society to make sure everyone is given the tools and respect they need to be successful.”

Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation President Kera Peterson said Kitto’s hiring strengthens labor’s position heading into the Nov. 3 election. The Regional Labor Federation carries out Labor 2020 campaign work in Ramsey, Dakota, Washington and Chisago counties.

“Jasmine brings energy, perspective and a wealth of experience to our political program at a critical moment in our work,” Peterson said. “We feel fortunate to have her on our team.”

No family should go without food on the table. That goes double during the holidays.

The Labor of Love – Sponsor a Family fundraising drive will help get food to families in need throughout the Twin Cities’ east-metro region this holiday season. Contributions from unions and their members will be accepted through Nov. 13.

All donations are used to purchase gift cards from union grocery stores. Local agencies distribute to the gift cards to area families in December.

Participating agencies include Catholic Charities in St. Paul, Sponsor a Family MN and Jewish Community Center. The St. Paul Labor Studies and Resource Center’s Emergency Fund, which provides assistance to union members facing financial hardship, distributes 30 percent of proceeds from Labor of Love.

To contribute, mail a check payable to Labor Studies and Resource Center to LSRC; Labor of Love – Sponsor a Family; Attn: Laura; 353 West 7^th St., Suite 201; Saint Paul, MN 55102.

Labor of Love – Sponsor a Family is co-sponsored by Greater Twin Cities United Way, the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, the LSRC and the AFL-CIO Community Services program.

Click here to download the Labor of Love – Sponsor a Family flier as a PDF.

The Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation (SPRLF), AFL-CIO, has adopted a Resolution Supporting Anti-Racism/Anti-White Supremacy.

Delegates voted without dissent to approve the resolution, printed below, at the SPRLF’s June 10, 2020, meeting.

The SPRLF unites more than 100 local unions, representing over 50,000 union members in Ramsey, Washington, Dakota and Chisago counties.

Resolution Supporting Anti-Racism/Anti-White Supremacy

WHEREAS, the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO is a diverse and united labor movement of union members dedicated to improving the lives of all working families and an expression of the hopes and aspirations of the working people in Chisago, Dakota, Ramsey and Washington counties, and

WHEREAS, as a labor organization, the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO recognizes the need to improve the lives of and increase power for working families, bring fairness and dignity to the workplace and secure social equity, and

WHEREAS, the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO is committed to mobilizing our members to support of justice and equity through building a strong, diverse, free, and democratic labor movement, and

WHEREAS, racism is a system of oppression, designed to divide the working class so the wealthy elite can consolidate their wealth and power at the very top, and was systemically embedded in American society from our nation’s founding when slavery was the dominant base of the economy; and although historic and heroic struggles have yielded progress in destroying its basis in law, racism continues to pervade the social and economic life of our country, causing enormous harm and suffering of all people of color, and

WHEREAS, racism continues to be used as a means to divide working people and weaken their political and economic power, with the aim of imposing austerity, the destruction of unions and the crippling of all democratic institutions and rights, and

WHEREAS, many Black, Latinx, Asian Pacific Islander, Indigenous, Immigrant, LGBTQ and female union members, along with the rest of the nation, are witnessing the results of policies and decisions driven by racial and gender exclusion, coupled with policies and decisions that undermine economic health for all working people, and

WHEREAS, repeated occurrences of deadly police violence in our community and throughout the country have outraged many decent Americans and provoked a mass movement for reform of the criminal justice system, and

WHEREAS, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, in his June 3, 2020, speech in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, spoke about the urgent need “to dismantle the traditions of oppression in our workplaces, our health system, our housing system, our voting laws, our criminal justice system,”

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO commits itself to the important initiatives outlined by of our national leadership and commits itself to helping carry out this effort in every way possible, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO works to educate union members about the way race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and other differences impact the lives of our members and would-be members, and to build common understandings of how racial bias and discrimination divide working people and undermine our collective power, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO commits to dismantling systems of oppression and to building power among union members and community allies to change the institutions and practices that prevent us from advancing a shared vision for a just, anti-racist and democratic economy that works for each of us, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO affirmatively states that there is no place for white supremacy in our labor movement. To that end, no individual shall be eligible to serve as an Officer, member of the executive board or committee, or other governing body, or any committee of, or as a delegate from, or as a representative, agent, or employee of this body who is a member of any fascist or white supremacist organization and/or consistently pursues policies and/or activities directed toward the purposes of any fascist or otherwise white supremacist ideology.

For the last five years, the Saint Paul Union Job and Resource Fair has been connecting job seekers with union employers ready to hire. This year, at a time when those connections are more important than ever, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the job fair to Aug. 20.

But while we wait to gather safely in person, we will begin posting links to immediate job openings from our registered employers, as well as resources available to folks looking to expand their career opportunities, on this “virtual bulletin board.”

This is an evolving list, so check back for updates. And please share this information with anyone you know looking for a job with family-supporting wages and benefits – and the protections of a union contract!

Employers

• Benedictine Health System is a mission-based, nonprofit health system headquartered in Duluth and sponsored by the Benedictine Sisters of St. Scholastica Monastery. Benedictine provides independent living and long-term care services for aging adults at facilities across the region. Learn more about career opportunities with Benedictine at www.bhshealth.org/jobs.

• The Berg Group, a respected leader in quality commercial drywall and related applications for over 50 years, is hiring union painters, tapers, drywall carpenters, plasterers and laborers. Please Apply Here! And follow the Berg Group on social media (Facebook/Instagram/LinkedIn) using the hashtag #WeAreBerg for more updates.

• Cassia provides independent senior living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing care, short-term transitional rehabilitation, adult day programs and a variety of community-based services for older adults. Cassia is seeking to fill a variety of positions at two five-star facilities in the east metro: the New Harmony Care Center in Saint Paul and the Augustana Care Hastings Campus. View current openings at cassialife.org/jobs.

Apprenticeships

• The Finishing Trades Institute of the Upper Midwest is an accredited apprenticeship college that’s PSEO-qualified. Earn-while-you-learn training programs offered at the facility include Commercial/Industrial Painting, Drywall Finishing, Glassworker/Glazier and Sign Technicians. To learn more, go online to www.ftium.edu or call 651-379-9600.

Resources

• Looking for work? CareerForce can help you – at no cost to you! CareerForce is connecting people looking for work with Minnesota employers hiring right now, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CareerForce can help you explore your options, showcase your skills with a solid resume and prepare for a successful interview. Whether you’re looking for work now or thinking ahead, visit CareerForceMN.com to access free online workshops, participate in CareerForce Virtual Career Fairs, search thousands of Minnesota jobs and take online interest and skills assessments to find the right career fit for you. Plus, learn how to get personal career planning and job search assistance over the phone or via email.

CareerForce is Minnesota’s career development and talent matching resource. We have an extensive network of partners throughout the state. Together, we’re dedicated to delivering prosperous outcomes for career seekers, employers, communities and Minnesota. Anyone is welcome to access our many innovative programs and services. Find out more at CareerForceMN.com. Don’t have internet access? Give us a call at 651-259-7501.

On Friday, May 29, Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation President Kera Peterson issued the following statement:

“I know people are concerned about what is happening in our communities right now. People are responding to the unjust killing of George Floyd in different ways, including physical action to further agitate the system towards justice and systemic change. I appreciate the hard work of Saint Paul’s elected officials and city staff to help neighborhoods prepare for what may happen. And I join them in encouraging residents to prioritize public safety by staying home as our leaders chart a clear path forward.

“Today, many union leaders are working to support members who are showing up to jobs and workplaces that look and feel very different than they did yesterday and the day before. And some are working to support members who are not able to work at all, whether it’s because transit and delivery services have been suspended in certain areas, or because the physical buildings where they work have been damaged and are unsafe at this time. The Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation is proud to partner with local leaders in these critical efforts.

“Union members show up to support their communities, and many are rolling up their sleeves and pitching in to help clean up impacted neighborhoods. As a labor movement, we stand united in support of efforts to rebuild our communities as places that are free of systemic racial inequalities, and to move the capital city forward, together.”

The Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation brings together more than 100 affiliate unions, representing over 50,000 working people in Chisago, Dakota, Ramsey and Washington counties.

Efforts to halt the spread of COVID-19 are creating immediate economic hardship for many working families. 

The Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation’s nonprofit organization, the Saint Paul Labor Studies and Resource Center (LSRC), has compiled the following list of resources that may be available to help people make ends meet during the public-health crisis.  

This is an evolving list, as some agencies have suspended operations to protect their employees, volunteers and clients from the outbreak. The list will be updated as our AFL-CIO Community Services liaisons learn more.  

Unemployment Insurance can provide immediate, emergency relief for many workers impacted by COVID-19, including people who have been laid off or who have seen their hours reduced. Gov. Tim Walz moved quickly to streamline UI benefits during the crisis, while federal lawmakers created a new program called Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, providing 13 weeks of extended unemployment benefits for certain workers. 

• Learn more about expanded access to Unemployment Insurance benefits during the COVID-19 response.
• The best way to apply for Unemployment Insurance benefits is online. Applications are accepted Sunday through Friday, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• The federal CARES Act provides an additional $600 in unemployment compensation to eligible workers, and makes benefits available to self-employed people, independent contractors and others who are not typically eligible. The National Employment Law Project has produced a helpful fact sheet on who qualifies. 

People who lost their employer-sponsored health insurance during the COVID-19 outbreak can shop for coverage on the state’s health exchange, MNsure.org.

Greater Twin Cities United Way is a longstanding partner in the AFL-CIO Community Services program, and the nonprofit is stepping up to help working families during the COVID-19 response in several ways.

• United Way’s 211 hotline is staffed 24 hours each day by specialists ready to answer people’s questions and connect them to local resources. Just dial 211, or text the letters MNCOVID to 898-211.
• Click here to learn more about what Greater Twin Cities United Way and its 95 nonprofit partners are doing to assist the pandemic response.
• Greater Twin Cities United Way has launched the Twin Cities COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund dedicated to ensuring access to food, shelter, child care, sanitary supplies and financial assistance. To contribute, text GTCUWCOVID19 to 51555.

Evictions have been suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic, but resources remain are available to working people concerned about keeping their homes.

• HOME Line provides free legal assistance to qualified renters. For assistance, call 612-728-5767 or click here to email an attorney.
• The Minnesota Homeownership Center helps people buy and stay in their homes. Find a list of COVID-19 housing resources on its website. For assistance, call 651-659-9336 or click here to send an email.
• Find more information about housing supports during the COVID-19 response on Minnesota Housing’s website.

Financial assistance may be available through your county. Call to arrange an intake interview.

• In Ramsey County, call 651-266-4444.
• In Hennepin County, call 844-803-8466.
• Click here for information about applying for benefits in Chisago County.
• In Dakota County, call 651-554-5611.
• In Washington County, call 651-430-6459.

Xcel Energy has announced it will not disconnect any household’s utilities during the pandemic. Learn more about the company’s response here.

Some schools are giving students free meals while schools are closed due to the COVID-19 virus.

• Click here for information on the Saint Paul Public Schools’ meal program, or check with your local school district for more information.
• Hunger Impact Partners is helping Minnesota families secure meals for children. Click here for more information.
• Second Harvest Heartland suggests calling ahead before visiting your local food shelf during the pandemic. Find a map showing resources near you.

The deadline for filing state and federal income taxes has been pushed back to July 15, 2020. Meanwhile, the CARES Act provides direct “Economic Impact Payments” – or stimulus checks – for most working Americans. Track yours at irs.gov/coronavirus.

Student loan borrowers may be able to suspend payments during the pandemic response. Click here for more information.

The American Red Cross has a “critical need” for blood donors right now. To schedule an appointment call  651-291-6789, or click here to find a drive.

Be on the lookout for scams! Here’s a list of tips from the Federal Trade Commission on how to avoid scams related to the coronavirus.

Stay healthy! The Minnesota Department of Health offers best practices for staying healthy, whether you’re staying home during the pandemic or going to work. (And remember, if your employer tries to prevent you from taking the steps necessary to protect your health, alert your union immediately!)

Talk to someone if you’re experiencing mental distress. Free emergency assistance is available around the clock by texting the letters MN to 741 741. Reach the Minnesota chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) at 1-888-NAMI-Helps, or the Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health at 1-800-528-4511 for help navigating the mental health system, support or additional resources.

Adhering to public health guidelines related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation has canceled or postponed several coming events.

This is an evolving list. Updates will be posted on www.stpaulunions.org and the federation’s Facebook page.

• The Regional Labor Federation’s monthly COPE, Executive Board and delegate meetings, scheduled for May 13, 2020, will be held remotely. Click here to learn more.
• Local labor assembly meetings in Chisago, Dakota, Ramsey and Washington counties are temporarily suspended.
• The Union Job and Resource Fair, scheduled for April 2, has been postponed to Aug. 20.
• The 10th Annual Labor Bowl has been postponed to Aug. 6. Learn more about the annual fundraiser for our nonprofit Labor Studies and Resource Center.
• Meetings of the St. Paul RLF’s retirees’ club are temporarily suspended.

Many of our affiliate unions and partner organizations have postponed or canceled events. Some of those events include:

• The Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger food drive. The nation’s largest single-day food drive has been postponed, but the National Association of Letter Carriers plans to reschedule the event later this year.
• The Minnesota State Retiree Council Fun(d)raiser. Originally scheduled to take place May 9, the event has been indefinitely postponed, but the council plans to reschedule. The raffle held at the end of each Fun(d)Raiser will occur at the rescheduled event, so hold onto your tickets!
• The Nellie Stone Johnson Scholarship Dinner. The annual fundraising event has been rescheduled for June 16.
• CTUL’s Pancake Brunch. The Twin Cities worker center canceled its annual fundraising event, but invites supporters to make an online contribution to advance its work.
• Workers Memorial Day observances held each April at the State Capitol by the St. Paul and Minneapolis Building Trades councils have been canceled.

The annual Union Job and Resource Fair is set for June 4 at the Electrical Industry Building in St. Paul. (Note that the original date has been rescheduled as a result of the public health crisis.)

The on-site hiring event, in its fifth year, is an opportunity for union employers, apprenticeship programs and nonprofit agencies to meet people interested in learning more about the advantages of a union job.

Interested in hosting a table at the job fair? Contact Peter Rachleff at 651-230-3294, or find a registration form on the East Side Freedom Library’s website: www.eastsidefreedomlibrary.org.