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Every day this shutdown drags on, workers and our families are forced to make impossible choices. Fund the government. Fix the health care crisis. Put working people first. Now.

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SE MN ALC Proud to Endorse in 2022 Election

05 Oct, 2022

Every union has a foundation story of how a few workers got together to benefit themselves, their coworkers, and their families. Union members understand democracy is about people and people power. Nothing less than democracy is on the ballot this November and that is why we are proud to support

Wegmann Elected to Lead the Southeast Minnesota Area Labor Council

08 Jan, 2020

Wegmann Elected to Lead the Southeast Minnesota Area Labor Council (Rochester, MN) The Southeast Minnesota Area Labor Council Executive Board unanimously elected Pommella Wegmann to serve as the council’s president at its quarterly meeting on Wednesday. The Southeast Minnesota Area Labor Council

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Federal unions—and all unions—are under attack.

In March, the Trump administration took its most blatantly anti-worker, anti-union action yet: an executive order stripping the right to organize from hundreds of thousands of federal workers at more than 30 agencies.

Now representatives in Congress have introduced the bipartisan Protect America’s Workforce Act, which would overturn Trump’s executive order.

We are asking every single American who cares about the fundamental freedom of all workers to join a union to call their member of Congress right now.

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Recent News

Photo of Minnesota AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Bethany Winkels

Bethany Winkels elected Secretary-Treasurer of the Minnesota AFL-CIO

The General Board of the Minnesota AFL-CIO, the state’s federation of more than 1,000 local unions, unanimously elected Executive Director Bethany Winkels to serve as Secretary-Treasurer. Winkels succeeds Brad Lehto who retired earlier last month.

03, Nov, 2025

Take Action: Time is Running Out for Millions of Americans

The government shutdown has now dragged on for 23 days. Across the country, federal workers are struggling to pay bills without their paychecks.

23, Oct, 2025

Photo of retiring MN AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Brad Lehto

Minnesota AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Brad Lehto Retires

After more than 25 years and serving in multiple roles at the Minnesota AFL-CIO, Secretary-Treasurer Brad Lehto retired this month. Prior to his 2018 election, Secretary-Treasurer Lehto served as the State Federation’s Legislative Director and Chief of Staff.

23, Oct, 2025

Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: Seafarers

This is the next post in our series that will take a deeper look at each of our affiliates. The series will run weekly until we've covered all 63 of our affiliates. Next up is the Seafarers International Union (SIU).

06, Oct, 2025

Federal workers holding signs that say, "Public Service is a Badge of Honor."

End the shutdown, fund our government, fix the healthcare crisis, and put working people first

Minnesota AFL-CIO President Bernie Burnham made the following statement on the federal government shutdown:

“It’s unfortunately no surprise that President Trump and the Republican majority in Congress have allowed our nation’s government to shut down.

01, Oct, 2025