Local 49 Call to Action
49ers help energize jobs rally at Capitol
Wearing hard hats, work boots and safety vests, a force of more than 500 hundred workers from Minnesota’s building trades packed the Capitol rotunda in St. Paul demanding action on job-creating legislation.
Labor and legislative leaders such as Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher, Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, and Senator Tom Bakk, along with representatives from the construction industry rallied the crowd, which chanted slogans like “Put us to work!” and “We need jobs!”
“The crowd was impressive and energized,” said Local 49 business manager Glen Johnson, who attended the rally with more than 100 brothers and sisters from Local 49. “Many of these men and women have been out of work a long time. With the exception of a few lawmakers, it doesn’t seem like they realize the reality and the urgency of these workers’ struggles.”
The Capitol rally’s main message was to urge lawmakers to pass a robust Bonding Bill and other job-creating legislation that will put construction workers back on the job.
This legislation will fund critical building that includes road and bridge construction, copper mining projects, and the Mall of America expansion and possibly a new Vikings’ stadium. It will also create tax credits to stimulate business development and vertical construction. Passing just the minimum legislation would create more than 26,000 jobs, according to economists with the Association of General Contractors.
“When construction workers are on the job, they’re paying taxes, they’re not on the unemployment rolls, and they’re spending money in their local communities,” said Jason George, Local 49’s political organizer. “If you want to solve the state’s budget problem, pass job-creating legislation for construction workers, now.”
Please note the momentum generated at this rally sets the stage for Local 49’s own Lobby Day scheduled for March 23rd. If you’re interested in attending Lobby Day, please contact Jason George at 612-877-3755 or email jgeorge@local49.org.