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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Ryan Winkler (DFL)

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Statement from Rep. Winkler on CTUL’s Responsible Contractor Policy with Target

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

ST. PAUL, MN – Today, the Target Corporation has agreed to adopt a Responsible Contractor Policy that will be implemented for new cleaning contracts at Target stores. This policy is the first of its kind nationally and was possible because of the work of sub-contracted janitors, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha (CTUL) who clean the stores in the metro area.

This kind of innovative approach to worker relations was recommended in a recent report by the Select Committee on Living Wage Jobs, chaired by Rep. Ryan Winkler (DFL – Golden Valley). The report mentions the Greater Minnesota Worker Center in St. Cloud that was able to come together and push for improved working conditions outside of traditional labor relationships (on page 14 of the report found here.) It was support by the Star Tribune editorial board, which argued that the report “offers several dashes of postrecession reality that challenge conventional campaign rhetoric from both the left and the right.”

"This innovative approach will help improve workplace conditions for thousands of workers in the area. The credit for this new policy rests squarely on the shoulders of the workers who joined together, pursued a new way to organize themselves and their coworkers, and created community pressure for Target to workplace conditions. By finding a common ground solution with their employers, CTUL will serve as an example for workers in Minnesota and across the country who are trying to better themselves through work."

 

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