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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Climate change is making fire season longer and more dangerous. Supporting these firefighters, now and for the next generation, is one of many investments Minnesota needs to make in the public goods that keep us safe.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Karl, Jim, and firefighters like them have spent their careers protecting Minnesotans and deserve the funding to do this work.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

DNR officials say they can handle the longer fire season for now, but warn more resources will be needed if the trend continues. We don’t often think about the people who keep us safe until we need them.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Without better pay and benefits, it’s hard to attract new firefighters or retain experienced ones. This experience matters, and as Jim says, “If we don’t have it, we are just putting people in danger.”

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Smokechasers, the seasonal, call-when-needed firefighters, earn low pay w/ no healthcare or benefits, despite the job’s real dangers. Cancer researchers estimate a full career on the fire line raises a firefighter’s risk of dying from lung cancer by up to 43% and cardiovascular disease by up to 30%

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Annual firefighting costs reached $40.3 million in 2025, nearly double since 2010. That increase reflects more work, not better pay. Officials attribute rising costs to paying existing crews for more hours and deploying them earlier and more broadly, while wages and benefits stayed largely the same.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

This was especially true this year, when a series of fires in July forced the BWCA to close, burned more than 70,000 acres, and weren’t fully contained until mid-September.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Minnesota’s fire season used to mean spring and fall. Not anymore. A Star Tribune report found the number of summer wildfires has grown 86%, and fall fires 74% since the 1990s, meaning crews now spend more of the year fighting fires than ever before.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Meet Karl Gaalaas and Jim McCue, AFSCME members and wildland firefighters with the Minnesota DNR in Grand Rapids, with 22 and 30 years on the job, respectively.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

“We’re seeing a shortage of wildland firefighters. It’s important that we continue to fund our line of work. We’re consistently, and with climate change, fighting more fires more aggressively. And we’re seeing fires now year-round, even just in Minnesota.”

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

In 1990, 6.6% of Minnesota’s budget went to MN State. Today it’s 2.7%. 60% of MN undergrads attend one of its 33 schools, which train nurses, teachers, tradespeople, and enrich our communities with educational opportunities. Our students deserve a state that funds their future.

startribune.com

Some Minnesota State campuses likely to close amid financial strain

The warning comes the same week the U of M says it needs to cut its budget by $225 million.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

8/ If corporations like Amazon paid their fair share, workers would have their basic needs met by a stronger safety net and would be free to choose work that actually fulfills them rather than struggle to make ends meet. This is the future Minnesota workers deserve.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

7/ The broken status quo which allows corporations to avoid paying taxes, results in the chronic underfunding of public services like health insurance, leaving small businesses like Lauren to fill in the gaps.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

6/ Lauren understands that taxes are crucial for funding the public services her community relies on. She is just asking for an even playing field. Corporations like Amazon shouldn’t have an effective tax rate that is 1/10th of what small businesses are paying.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

5/ In that same period, Amazon’s annual profit grew from $11.6 billion to $77.7 billion. “I don’t want to pay less than 2% in taxes. I want Amazon to pay more than 20.”

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

4/ The same corporations avoiding taxes are dependent on the safety net they refuse to help fund. A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office found the number of Amazon workers enrolled in SNAP and Medicaid has nearly tripled since 2020.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

3/ In 2025, Amazon paid just 1.4% of its U.S. income in federal taxes after receiving $17.5 billion in tax subsidies, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. Meanwhile, Lauren paid more than 20% of her store’s income in taxes last year.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

2/ Unlike giant corporations like Amazon, small businesses like Lauren's are built on personal relationships with customers and neighbors. There is another glaring difference between those businesses 👇

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

1/ “We’re watching private equity absolutely demolish industries, mine in particular. And it’s getting harder to be one of the little guys.” Meet Lauren Gaffney, co-owner of Mastel’s Health Foods, a vitamin and supplement store in St. Paul. 🧵

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Education Minnesota @educationmn.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

One job should be enough 🗣️ BE A VOTER this fall for candidates that will invest state money into raising the pay of all teachers and set a minimum wage of $25/hour for school support staff: edmn.me/guide #mnleg #edmnvotes

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ISAIAH @isaiahmn.org · 22/09/2026

📣 As California-based Sutter Health moves to acquire Allina Health, we need a strong Community Benefits Agreement that protects healthcare workers & patients alike. Our care is not for sale. 🏥 Learn more: SaveMNHealthcare.com

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MAPEunion @mapeunion.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

MAPE member Megan Eiting spoke with Minnesota Public Radio about the unfavorable overtime compensation for the heroes fighting wildfires in Minnesota. Read the full story here: www.mprnews.org/story/2026/09/21/dn…

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AFL-CIO @aflcio.org · 22/09/2026

Working people are worried about what an AI future would look like. Not doomsday—but privacy, discrimination and job replacement. That’s why America’s unions fight for AI guardrails in the workplace and in our contracts to protect our jobs and rights.

nytimes.com

How Unions Are Confronting A.I. Threats in the Workplace

The machinists union shows how workers are negotiating for a say in the ways artificial intelligence is used in their workplaces.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Minnesota has the 2nd-highest post-tax income in the Midwest and 15th-highest in the country. Smart public investments build a stronger economy and higher wages for everyone. You can read more here: www.census.gov/library/work...

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Early voting starts today! We've spent months hearing how the status quo of chronic underfunding is hurting communities across the state. Now is your chance to elect leaders who will fully fund the public services we all rely on!

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Community colleges train the nurses, tradespeople, and public servants that Minnesotans depend on to build our homes, treat us when we’re sick, and keep our communities safe. Investing in people like Deb is how we build the workforce and the state that works for all of us.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Public employees like Deb do this work because they feel fulfilled when they help students achieve their goals. Instead of accepting a status quo of crumbling infrastructure and hiring freezes, Minnesotans deserve a state that invests in the people and places that help students succeed.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

“If we had everything we needed, we would be able to assist students easily,” Deb says. “Their education process would be smoother.”

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

This lack of funding is affecting students as well as staff. In 2025, over 40% of Minnesota Grant recipients attended community and technical colleges like RCTC, the same financial aid program now facing a $131 million shortfall this year.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Deb says RCTC’s disability support services office has only 3 staff members, even as the number of students with disabilities keeps rising.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

That funding wasn’t included in this year’s budget. Minnesota State also didn’t receive any new operating funds this year, forcing colleges across the state into hiring freezes and unfilled vacancies.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

RCTC sought $14.4 million from the state to renovate its aging Heintz Center, the place where students access career development services and learn technical and trade skills, including welding and automotive mechanics, along with more than a third of the college’s total programs.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

She is the first person that students see when they need assistance, and her office “keeps the lights on” at RCTC. But keeping the lights on is getting harder.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

“A direct contact is what a student needs. Often if they do not get that direct contact, they get frustrated and they might give up. And we don’t want that." Meet Deb Cannon, an administrative support professional at Rochester Community and Technical College.

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Faith in MN @faithinmn.org · 11/09/2026

👏🏽 More than 200 leaders from across Southern Minnesota gathered this past week for a Fall Election Kickoff. We reflected on our personal stakes in this election & made plans to talk with thousands of voters about the healthcare challenges facing all of us. 🚪📞💥 Then we hit the doors & phones!

Small group of leaders in faith in Minnesota t shirts smiles at camera

Leaders sit in room and look at speaker at front of room

Over 200 faith in Minnesota leaders across backgrounds gather in auditorium for fall election kickoff

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MAPEunion @mapeunion.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) Week is offering workers and employers opportunities to learn about workplace protections, responsibilities and resources this week! mape.org/news/knowing-your-rights-w…

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

We are proud to fight alongside labor, today and every day. Happy Labor Day to the workers and unions who keep Minnesota running! #HappyLaborDay

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AFL-CIO @aflcio.org · 07/09/2026

The American Dream is feeling out of reach for working families across the country this Labor Day. Unions have record-high support, and right now, working people trust the labor movement to bring the American Dream closer to reality again.

newsweek.com

It's time for America’s workers to take their power back | Opinion

"Labor law in this country has been weakened to the point where it is easier to bust a union than to form one."

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AFSCME @afscme.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Happy Labor Day! We will never stop fighting for working people. Today and every day, we celebrate all you do to uplift your communities and keep our country running. Thank you, AFSCME family!

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AFT @aft.org · 07/09/2026

Unions fight for working people. For educators 📚 For nurses and healthcare workers 🏥 For public employees 🏛️ For all the people who make this country work. Incredible morning of labor solidarity and union power here in Philadelphia on #LaborDay! @pft.org @aftpa.org @phillyaflcio.bsky.social

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

2/ From childcare to pollution control to home care, the story was the same: the status quo is broken, and we need leaders ready to stand up for Minnesota families, communities, and the public services we all rely on.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

1/ "We need more than lip service; we expect action." At our town hall in Duluth this week, we heard from public workers across northern Minnesota about the needs in their communities. Watch the TV coverage here: bit.ly/4gXBbBw

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Giving them a real shot to succeed requires investing in more than just her classroom: housing, healthcare, transportation, and all the public goods that help students thrive.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

As Sarah said, the status quo is not working for teachers. But she’s also clear that the fix isn’t only about more funding for her classroom: “We can do our job so much better when our students are supported in the community.” Sarah’s students are Minnesota’s future doctors and scientists.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Now that progress is reversing as nearly 90% of school districts are projected to lose state aid over the next two years.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

It is not just a St. Paul problem. Even after accounting for inflation, state aid to Minnesota schools remains 8.6% below 2003 levels, despite meaningful investments made in the 2023 legislative session to narrow that gap.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Unfortunately, this is not the reality for Saint Paul Public Schools. Earlier this summer, SPPS approved a budget to close a $14.35 million shortfall by eliminating 115 jobs. Officials say that state funding has not kept up with the costs of running a school.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Classroom materials would be provided by the school, rather than paid for out of teachers’ pockets. Teaching assistants would be in every classroom to make sure each student gets the support they need. Nurses would always have the resources to help sick students.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

When asked what increased funding would look like in her school, her answer came easily. Special education services would be fully covered, instead of forcing the district to pull money from other needs to fill the gap. Libraries would be fully staffed and filled with books students want to read.

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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

“Fully funding education? It’d be amazing!” Meet Sarah Bosch, a science teacher in Saint Paul Public Schools.

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