Another member graduates from the U of M’s prestigious Union Leadership Program

MAPE has bragging rights to another member graduating from the Minnesota Union Leadership Program at the University of Minnesota. Local 201’s Tonja Rolfson, a Human Services Judge with the Department of Human Services (DHS), was awarded a certificate from the Carlson School of Management last month.

The program was designed to address the most critical issues facing working people in Minnesota. “It was the full spectrum on how you organize, build consensus and deal with setbacks. We also learned about bargaining for the common good by synching public interests with labor members’ interests because they often mesh,”  Rolfson said. “It was really inspiring to be with people who wanted to make a difference and put themselves out there, willing to speak truth to power.”

Through six in-depth sessions scheduled over eight months, participants study working people’s movements – past, present and future – while learning together how workers succeed in building a more just and equitable society.

Rolfson is also MAPE DHS Meet and Confer Chair. When asked what she will bring back to her colleagues and Meet and Confer Team, she said that sometimes it is necessary to emphasize some of the things we’ve used before like face-to-face meetings, “An Amazon worker told us she is devoting her own time to stand outside the company to meet with some of the Somali workers. It was face-to-face interaction and that was what brought people in because they trusted her.”

“It was a great opportunity to build friendships and relationships with labor unions across the state,” Rolfson added.