North Dakota AFL-CIO 2025 Convention Resolutions

North Dakota AFL-CIO 66th Convention 

A RESOLUTION IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE WORKERS OF THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE 

WHEREAS: The United States Postal Service is a self-sustaining, independent establishment of the federal government, created before the US Constitution was ratified; and 

WHEREAS: The United States Postal Service provides service to every corner of the country under its universal service obligation, serving as “carrier of last mile” for delivery companies that would otherwise not provide service to small and remote communities; and 

WHEREAS: Union Letter Carriers, Postal Workers, and Mail Handlers take great pride in the work they do, providing service to every address in the nation; and

WHEREAS: The United States Postal Service is an invaluable and irreplaceable part of our national infrastructure, history and culture; and

WHEREAS: Opportunistic forces have been waging a sustained campaign to dismantle and privatize the United States Postal Service for decades, sharpening their attack under the Trump Administration; and

WHEREAS: Privatization of the United States Postal Service would be detrimental to our communities in North Dakota; and therefore be it

RESOLVED: The North Dakota AFL-CIO will stand in solidarity with our union family in the National Association of Letter Carriers, the National Rural Letter Carriers' Association, the American Postal Workers Union and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union against efforts to privatize or otherwise weaken the United States Postal Service; and be it further

RESOLVED: The North Dakota AFL-CIO will encourage our affiliates and allies to take action by contacting their congressional delegation in support of legislation that protects our workers and strengthens the United States Postal Service.

North Dakota AFL-CIO 66th Convention 

A RESOLUTION OF SOLIDARITY WITH IMMIGRANT WORKERS 

WHEREAS: Immigrant union sisters and brothers are being illegally targeted by President Trump and his administration; and

WHEREAS: Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a member of SMART Local 100 in Maryland, was mistakenly deported by the U.S. Government and is currently imprisoned in El Salvador without due process or opportunity for appeal; and

WHEREAS: Rümeysa Öztürk, a member of SEIU local 509, visa holder and respected member of the academic and labor community, was targeted and detained in Massachusetts and sent to a privately-run ICE facility in Louisiana after expressing views in opposition to the Trump Administration, but is now free because of public pressure; and

WHEREAS: Hundreds of thousands of immigrant workers, including union members and North Dakotans, are being illegally targeted, detained and even deported without due process, in clear violation their their civil rights; and

WHEREAS: All workers deserve dignity, respect and to be treated with basic fairness; and

WHEREAS: An injury to one is an injury to all; and therefore be it 

RESOLVED: The North Dakota AFL-CIO stands in solidarity with our immigrant sisters and brothers who are facing threats of harassment, incarceration and deportation, as well as the daily fear of being separated from their friends and families; and be it further

RESOLVED: The North Dakota AFL-CIO calls for Kilmar Abrego Garcia to be released from El Salvadorean incarceration and to be immediately returned to his family in Maryland; and be it further

RESOLVED: The North Dakota AFL-CIO calls on the North Dakota congressional delegation to stop the illegal campaign against immigrant workers; and be it further

RESOLVED: The North Dakota AFL-CIO will work to educate all workers on the issue of immigration, exposing the tactics used to divide working people from one another, keeping us from exercising our collective power to live a better life; and be it further

RESOLVED: The North Dakota AFL-CIO will work with immigrants facing these threats in our local unions and communities, creating partnerships with local allies in the immigrant community to help resist these attacks on our fellow workers. 

North Dakota AFL-CIO 66th Convention 

A RESOLUTION AGAINST MEDICAID CUTS TO FUND TAX BREAKS FOR THE WEALTHY 

WHEREAS: Medicaid is the single largest source of health care coverage in the United States, and a major source of funding for hospitals, community health centers and nursing homes; and

WHEREAS: Medicaid is the primary payer for 63% of nursing home residents; and

WHEREAS: Medicaid pays for 42% of births in the United States each year; and

WHEREAS: Medicaid provides health care for nearly half of all children in our country; and 

WHEREAS: There are 105,000 children and adults enrolled in North Dakota Medicaid; and

WHEREAS: A majority (72%) of Medicaid adults in North Dakota are working; and

WHEREAS: A majority (53%) of Medicaid coverage in North Dakota is for nursing home residents; and

WHEREAS: The U.S. House voted to cut $715 billion from Medicaid to fund tax cuts for billionaires and corporations; and

WHEREAS: It is estimated that the uninsured population in North Dakota could increase from 10,000 to 17,000 people in the next decade due to these cuts; and

WHEREAS: Medicaid cuts will also cause hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and home-health agencies to close or downsize, especially in rural areas, causing 477,000 health care jobs to be lost nationwide in 2026 alone; and

WHEREAS: Medicaid cuts will increase insurance premiums for everyone; and

WHEREAS: Work requirements for Medicaid eligibility increase red tape for families and the state, increase costs of administration, have no effect on the labor market, and disproportionately punish people with disabilities, as well as people dealing with health issues or people caring for a family member with health issues; and 

WHEREAS: The United States Senate has the power to stop the cuts; and therefore be it

RESOLVED: The North Dakota AFL-CIO will call on US Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer  to stop the cuts to Medicaid, including work requirements; and be it further

RESOLVED: The North Dakota AFL-CIO will admonish US Representative Julie Fedorchak for her  vote to cut Medicaid; and be it further

RESOLVED: The North Dakota AFL-CIO will work to educate workers in North Dakota on the  negative effects these cuts will have on working families, and encourage them to take  action.

North Dakota AFL-CIO 66th Convention 

A RESOLUTION IN SOLIDARITY WITH FEDERAL WORKERS 

WHEREAS: The American people rely on government services, and those government services depend on dedicated, experienced, and skilled workers; and

WHEREAS: Donald Trump and Elon Musk have launched a barrage of attacks on our Federal workers, slashing hundreds of thousands of good union jobs, ripping up union contracts, cutting critical services and dismantling the fundamental freedom to organize for a better life; and

WHEREAS: Federal workers’ unions ensure fairness and accountability in our government—for federal workers and all working people—and they must not be undermined; and

WHEREAS: Americans should be able to go to work without the fear of discrimination, harassment and intimidation in our workplaces; and

WHEREAS: Attacks on federal workers are attacks on all working families and the essential services that we all rely on daily; and 

WHEREAS: These attacks on federal workers are local, impacting the VA, USDA, Social Security and more, right here in North Dakota; and 

WHEREAS: Federal workers and their unions are fighting back; and therefore be it

RESOLVED: The North Dakota AFL-CIO stands in solidarity with our federal workers; and be it further

RESOLVED: The North Dakota AFL-CIO will work with our affiliates to bring attention to these attacks; and be it further

RESOLVED: The North Dakota AFL-CIO will call on our federal delegation in congress to put an end to the attacks on our federal workers. 

North Dakota AFL-CIO 66th Convention 

A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF A UNION DAY OF SOLIDARITY

WHEREAS: The labor movement is rooted in the fight for justice, dignity, and the collective rights of all working people, regardless of race, gender, immigration status, or background; and

WHEREAS: Working people must unite to resist all forms of oppression and stand against attempts to divide us or strip away our hard-fought rights; and therefore be it

RESOLVED: That North Dakota AFL-CIO supports a Union Day of Solidarity against Trump’s  anti-worker, anti-Labor, anti-American values and policies, with a public rally to bring  together union members, allies, and community organizations to stand in defense of  justice, equity, and democracy; and therefore be it also 

RESOLVED: That the North Dakota AFL-CIO continues to work with local and national partners to  oppose policies that threaten our members and communities, and to build a movement  where working class power is united, organized, and unafraid.

North Dakota AFL-CIO 66th Convention 

A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF JOB CORP

WHEREAS: Job Corps is a nationwide program that offers training for careers to young adults ages 16 to 24 years old, including access to housing and food while they learn career skills; and 

WHEREAS: Job Corps has trained over 3 million students nationally since its inception in 1962; and 

WHEREAS: Job Corp has provided opportunity for thousands of our nation’s most vulnerable youth, leading to stable, middle-class jobs; and

WHEREAS: The Quentin N. Burdick Center in Minot has been in operation for 31 years, helping hundreds of students each year build skills and find employment; and

WHEREAS: Many Job Corp students have found their way into our unions through partnerships with our apprenticeships programs; and

WHEREAS: The U.S. Department of Labor will effectively end the majority of Job Corps programs by June 30, 2025; and 

WHEREAS: Programs for Job Corp students across the country, including at the Quentin N. Burdick Center, are ending immediately, resulting in many students facing imminent homelessness and hunger; and therefore be it

RESOLVED: The North Dakota AFL-CIO fully supports the mission of Job Corp and recognizes the important role it has played in our state; and be it further

RESOLVED: The North Dakota AFL-CIO will work to find ways to provide relief to impacted students; and be it further

RESOLVED: The North Dakota AFL-CIO will call on our congressional delegation and governor to support Job Corp and undo the cuts to this vital program for our nation's working-class youth.

North Dakota AFL-CIO 66th Convention 

A RESOLUTION TO BESTOW THE HONORARY TITLE OF PRESIDENT EMERITUS TO LANDIS LARSON

WHEREAS: The Office of the President is the most prestigious elected office of the North Dakota AFL-CIO; and

WHEREAS:  Wallace Dockter, after honorably serving as the President of the North Dakota AFL-CIO, was bestowed the honor of President Emeritus of the North Dakota AFL-CIO; and

WHEREAS:  Jim Gerl, Dave Kemnitz, Gary Granzotto, Tom Ricker, and Waylon Hedegaard having held the office of the President of the North Dakota AFL-CIO, were also bestowed the honor of President Emeritus of the North Dakota AFL-CIO; and

WHEREAS:  Landis Larson has dutifully held the office of the President of the North Dakota AFL-CIO with dignity, honor and dedication to the working people of North Dakota; and therefore be it 

RESOLVED: The North Dakota AFL-CIO shall bestow the honorific title of President Emeritus to Landis Larson; and be it further

RESOLVED: All President Emeriti of the North Dakota AFL-CIO shall receive an invitation to be a fraternal guest to all North Dakota AFL-CIO Conventions.