Across the state, more educators are choosing to step away from union membership, according to Education Minnesota’s recent federal LM-2 report filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. The union’s…
The recent government shutdown, which began twenty days ago on October 1st, has not yet significantly impacted Minnesota’s educational system and is unlikely to do so, assuming that the shutdown…
The state teachers’ union has increased the Political Action Committee (PAC) contribution it automatically charges member teachers and education support professionals (ESPs). PAC money is spent on supporting political parties,…
When it comes to politics, the teachers’ union rarely misses a roll call. An organization intended to support teachers and their professional needs has morphed into a loud, persistent political…
As an employer, Education Minnesota has roughly 155 full-time employees with three primary officers — a president, vice president, and secretary-treasurer, according to its most recent federal filings with the…
A green transition would demand more land, more materials, and more sacrifice than anyone would like to admit. In the television show “Landman,” a character played by Billy Bob Thornton…
Former Education Minnesota President Denise Specht indirectly threw shade at American Experiment recently, writing in her last column for the union’s magazine Minnesota Educator that the union will continue “battling”…
With a looming $5 billion deficit, the Minnesota state budget is on an unsustainable path. Spending reform is essential in the 2025 legislative session. Unfortunately, the numerous proposals to increase…
A recent report from the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS), a global security nonprofit, found that Chinese firms control around 75 percent of Indonesian nickel production capacity. With Indonesia…
Merry Christmas! Those in good favor this year didn’t include a number of union bosses who found themselves caught up in illegal shenanigans. Perhaps their New Year’s resolutions will include…
In 2018, Education Minnesota was financially supported by 95,389 educators. Today, that number is down to 86,676 — a nine percent decline in six years. The union’s most recent federal…
Minnesota played a key role in advancing the idea of collective bargaining for public school teachers in the United States. While the goals and philosophical views of the early teacher…
Each year, Education Minnesota charges member teachers and eduction support professionals (ESPs) $25.00 for its political action committee, or PAC. PAC money is spent on supporting political parties, candidates, and…
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released its employment numbers for August. Some of the local headlines include: Kare 11: Minnesota shares largest monthly job gain in two years…
A St. Paul-based drug- and alcohol-treatment center, Evergreen Recovery, accused of defrauding the state in the amount of $28 million, had its day in court. Fifteen days ago, on July…
It has not been a good couple of months for the Minnesota state government. First, on June 11, the Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) published a report estimating that…
We’ve added two items to our official Scandal Tracker 2024 list. Ryan Faircloth of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports this morning on a federal analysis of COVID-era unemployment benefit overpayments…
Recent data on unemployment insurance claims released by the U.S. Department of Labor show Minnesota’s increases are driven by layoffs in education. In the week ending June 1, the largest…
Teacher membership in Education Minnesota has dropped significantly, according to a recent federal LM-2 report the union filed with the U.S. Department of Labor that covers from September 1, 2022…
We think Minnesota’s $250 million+ Feeding Our Future scandal is impressive. The national unemployment scandal adds another three zeros. Earlier this month, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO, f/k/a General…
Most of the consequences of any action are unintended consequences. Hiking the minimum wage, for example, is intended to raise the wages of workers, but other — unintended — consequences…
State and local taxes and spending The Globe: Worthington City Council talks budget ahead of December certification deadline Alexandria Echo Press: Douglas County commissioners approve 2023 budget of nearly $64.6…
According to the US Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG), about $46 billion in pandemic unemployment benefits might have been paid to fraudsters. Initially, the OIG estimated…
In 2019, California passed Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) — a law that limited businesses’ ability to classify workers as independent contractors. This was in an effort to ensure that workers…