Caucuses, conventions and conversations at the center of Leadership Academy training

More than 100 members attended last week’s Leadership Academy meeting targeted to put MAPE in a stronger position going into contract negotiations in 2027. The training was the first of three planned by the Union Power Project (UPP) “to ground members in a shared vision and equip them with organizing skills and tools to build power in their locals,” said UPP Chair Andrew Ulasich.  

This fundamental training was focused on one-on-one conversations. “Not just a conversation but with the purpose of connecting with someone to create action. Each training has an organizing skill associated with it but also an action coming out of it,” Ulasich said.  

“We want to build more political power. The Legislature sets our budgets, and we want to have more of a say about that – those decisions are made before our negotiations,” he added.  

Negotiations Representative Kirsten Peterson spoke about increasing health care costs and Medicaid cuts and Political Council, and MAPE PAC, member Lindsey Franklin spoke to the group about the reality of the state budget situation. “With the increasing health care costs and declining revenue, we are in a crisis. It felt clear to folks why we must show up and build political power,” Ulasich said. 

“Caucuses are the domain of organized people, and primaries tend to be the domain of organized money,” he added.  

One of the most effective levers of state power that we can wield is through the caucus and convention process, where just a few hundred people shape party endorsements of candidates for elected office. By showing up together, we can shape the candidates and party platforms with our agenda for higher wages, more time, and investments in the public good. Sign up here to help MAPE build our collective power across the state and set the agenda for the 2027 legislative session.  

“Long before the election happens in November, the agenda gets set and candidates get endorsed. We should be there. Our goal is to get 3,000 MAPE-represented workers to attend precinct caucuses and endorsing conventions of the political party they’re most aligned with,” Ulasich said.  

Minnesota’s precinct caucuses will be Feb. 3, 2026.  

“I am going to go to my caucus because of this training, and I haven’t participated since 2010,” Local 1402’s Cindy Osborn said. “In northern Minnesota, our precincts and turnouts are smaller, and we can have real impact.”  

She said she has already talked with colleagues about attending their caucuses, “They told me they thought that their responsibility ended at voting but now realize how important the caucuses are.”  

“The Leadership Academy was truly empowering, and it left me feeling invigorated about building political power and further developing my own skills as a Civic Engagement Officer,” said Local 602’s Sanderia Davis.  

This first training was oriented around one-on-one conversations and how you encourage members to step into an active role on a team. These teams will be oriented towards increasing membership and recruiting new members, as well as Civic Engagement Officers and the work they’re doing.  

The second training in January will focus on the work the membership secretaries are doing with the goal of building teams around them who will share the work of recruiting new members. 

Next May, the training will build infrastructure for negotiators. How can we get a Contract Action Team (CAT) member in every unit in the state? “If I’m the CAT leader with eight or 10 members in my unit, how can I invite them into action over the contract fight and keep them engaged,” Ulasich asked.  

Both Osborn and Davis said they were interested in participating in future Union Power Project trainings. “There’s something profoundly powerful about being in a room filled with union siblings from diverse backgrounds, agencies and political beliefs, all united by a shared vision of advancing a labor-friendly agenda at the grassroots level that uplifts us all,” Davis said.