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As a former leader in the Minneapolis City Council, a statewide housing advocate and a citizen of a city I deeply love, I’m acutely aware that racial and economic inequities mean that life in our city is not equally great for everyone.
The near-record racial wealth gaps in Minneapolis and the Twin Cities have causes that stem from beyond our borders: Over the last 40-plus years, wages have not kept up with inflation. The full-time, union jobs that propelled many families to the middle class have been replaced with a temp and gig work economy, and employers get away with union-busting far too often.
It’s possible — and important — for cities to take the initiative where they can to create a framework that helps workers and businesses succeed together.
That’s why I was pleased to see widespread support for a Labor Standards Board at the start of this year — and hope our city’s leaders can get the job done before the year is out.
The Labor Standards Board policy would create collaborative tables where industry-specific issues could be discussed by businesses, workers and community stakeholders to find solutions that work for everybody. The board’s recommendations then would be forwarded to the City Council for final action. By having the interested parties at a table, our city could address specific issues.
Importantly, worker advocates have proposed that the policy include access to know-your-rights training for all workers in our city. It’s no good having rights if you don’t know what they are or where to turn to enforce them.