As President Trump and Representative Hagedorn campaign together in Southeast Minnesota today, Pommella Wegmann, President of the Southeast Minnesota Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO issued the following statement.
“President Trump and Representative Hagedorn have unequivocally failed all working families. Every promise they have made to stand up for workers has been broken, and they undercut working families every chance they get.
“Southeast Minnesota has seen some of the largest outbreaks of COVID-19 and greatest economic hits in the state. Hundreds of thousands of workers continue to risk their lives to provide essential goods and services we depend on. Hundreds of thousands more are dealing with closures, furloughs, layoffs, and other circumstances leading to unemployment. Meanwhile, Trump and Hagedorn have taken advantage of these devastating health and economic crises to continue to push their anti-worker agenda.
“This is the same playbook Trump and Hagedorn have followed for years. They worked together to approve new tax laws that took money out of the pockets of working people. They sought to lower standards for workforce training and construction apprenticeships. They actively opposed labor law reform that would make it easier for workers to stand up for themselves or to form a union. They continue to spout divisive dog-whistles directed at immigrant and refugee families and communities.
“Trump and Hagedorn’s latest schemes are to dismantle the Postal Service, erode public faith in the election process, and obstruct legislation that would provide much needed relief to working families – including a critical extension of unemployment benefits.
“It’s way past time for real leadership and real solutions to protect working families. We cannot continue the failures of the Trump presidency and Hagedorn’s first term in office.”
The Southeast Minnesota Area Labor Council is the united labor movement of 40,000 union members in 16 counties in southeast Minnesota. We are dedicated to improving the lives of all working families and we strive daily to dismantle systems of oppression. We affirm the freedom of collective bargaining and believe in the dignity of work for all - regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, economic class, education level, or immigration status.