DFL Gov. Mark Dayton, the state's unions and the GOP-led Legislature appear to have dramatically different views about labor.
Republicans have introduced measures to freeze teachers salaries, freeze state employee wages, cut the number of state employees and make Minnesota a right-to-work state, which would lessen the power of Minnesota unions.
Dayton, who had major union support in his election, continues to champion state workers whose efforts, he says, too often go unsung.
"To demonize people who are, in most respects, hard-working, committed people is very unfair and unnecessarily divisive," he said in January, reacting to proposals to freeze public employee pay and cut their numbers. He underscored the point by demanding that "people who work in government" are treated with dignity and respect."
In addition to breakfast meetings with Republicans, Dayton has made a point of meeting informally with union leaders at the governor's residence.
Republicans, meanwhile, say they are just trying to save the state's money.
"I have tried really, really hard to avoid demagoguery," said Rep. Keith Downey, R-Edina. He proposed a pay freeze, pay cut and mandating a comparison between public sector and private wages.
He proposed -- and then pulled -- right-to-work language in a bill after hundreds of union members, from nurses to police officers, showed up to oppose that measure, which lives on in other legislation. The Minnesota AFL-CIO plans to bring masses to the Capitol again this month and Teamsters Local 320 plans a $100,000 ad campaign against what they see as anti-union moves afoot at the Legislature.
