Minnesota unions hope to build on 2006 election success

http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?news_6_3317

By Barb Kucera, Workday editor
4 October 2007

BLOOMINGTON - Minnesota unions hope to build on their success in electing pro-worker candidates in 2006 with even more victories in 2008, participants in the Minnesota AFL-CIO political conference said.

The conference, held Thursday and Friday in Bloomington, brought together representatives of dozens of AFL-CIO-affiliated unions, from public employees and construction workers to rail and industrial workers.


Rank-and-file members of IBEW Local 292 reviewed conference materials during a break. From left are Samuel Cross, David Malecha, Geary Olson and Rick Ramberg.


At the opening session, they took time to bask in the glory of last year's results, including election of 85 pro-worker candidates to the state Legislature and wins by U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and First District Congressman Tim Walz. The only place labor's effort fell short was the governor's race, where incumbent Tim Pawlenty was re-elected by a razor-thin margin.

While it's fun to celebrate, the work is not done, said Mike Noonan, strategic planning and technology director for the national AFL-CIO's Political Department.

"That (2006) was the prelude to the big game," he told the Minnesota unionists. "The big game is next year when we take back the government for working people."

In addition to the U.S. presidential race, key goals include defeating incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Norm Coleman and incumbent Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, re-electing Walz and taking the open seat being vacated by Republican Congressman Jim Ramstad.

FULL story at link.