North Dakota AFL-CIO Labor 2020 Resolutions

These are resolutions pertaining to issues important to union members in North Dakota and on which we, as the North Dakota AFL-CIO State Federation, have taken a position of support. We encourage members to use these resolutions to  build support for a working families agenda in their local unions, allied organizations, communities and political parties.

These resolutions have been organized one per page for ease of printing.

The North Dakota AFL-CIO will actively support federal and state “Two Person Train Crew” legislation for all class one and two freight and passenger trains in North Dakota.

Description

Freight trains require at least two persons on all trains to assure public road crossings are not blocked by standing trains, and public road crossings can be opened to allow the public emergency responders to pass over railroad crossings without delay.

Two persons on all freight and passenger rail can assure standing trains are properly secured to not roll away, and are inspected frequently while moving.

No federal law, federal regulation or state law currently exists requiring a minimum of two certified persons on all freight and passenger trains moving in North Dakota.

The North Dakota AFL-CIO supports legislation that would provide up to 12 weeks of partial wage replacement leave for the birth or adoption of a new child, parenting, or care of a seriously ill family member.

Description

Paid Family Medical Leave will make it easier for parents -- both mothers and fathers -- to care for a newborn or newly adopted child and will provide crucial support when a family member becomes seriously ill.

Research suggests from other states that businesses with paid family leave have saved money, benefited from increased employee recruitment and retention rates, increased overall productivity, and have observed a higher worker morale.

The North Dakota AFL-CIO will actively support federal and state “Universal School Meals” legislation to provide a basic school breakfast and hot lunch to all K-12 students enrolled in a North Dakota schools.

Description

North Dakota should make available school breakfast and lunch to all students at no charge to the individual student or family. We should maximize federal reimbursement for meals at all schools, and invest in North Dakota’s greatest legacy, our children.

Nearly 30% of food-insecure households with children in North Dakota are not eligible for federal nutrition assistance programs. We know that North Dakota working families are facing many economic hurdles, making hard choices between paying for food and rent, transportation, childcare and healthcare. School meal debt has increased dramatically since 2017, putting working families and school districts in a tough spot financially.

Universal School Meals would improve our  education outcomes and solve these problems for our schools and working families.

The North Dakota AFL-CIO will actively support increasing state K-12 funding and oppose any efforts to use public money for private schools, including vouchers and education savings accounts.

Description

Strong public education is a necessary component of a strong economy. Funding of our public education system, from Pre-K to higher education, must be a priority.

The North Dakota AFL-CIO urges federal and state investments in infrastructure improvements, increasing our public safety and creating thousands of family-sustaining jobs.

Description

The state’s infrastructure and our public facilities are in need of repair. Our growing communities require new roads, bridges, utilities and schools. Publicly-funded infrastructure projects create good jobs close to home, and wages go right back into building our communities.

The North Dakota AFL-CIO urges increases to federal and state minimum wage, and the elimination of “server wages”.

Description

Minimum wage in North Dakota has been $7.25 for over a decade. Employees that make over $30 in tips a month are allowed to be paid a minimum wage of $4.86 per hour. A single worker in Jamestown, ND would need to make around $10 an hour just to meet basic needs. We need wages that workers can raise a family on. Increasing the minimum wage would pull thousands of working families in North Dakota out of poverty. Increasing wages is a primary tool for workforce recruitment and retention.

The North Dakota AFL-CIO will actively support collective bargaining for all workers in North Dakota.

Description

Currently, K-12 educators are the only public employees that are legally allowed to negotiate a contract. Many other public employees have already joined together in their unions: firefighters, police, county workers, K-12 support professionals, university staff, extension agents, and other state employees. However, they are not legally allowed to negotiate a contract with their employers. All workers, public and private, should be free to join together, speak with one voice, and negotiate for a fair return on our work and a voice on the job.