Fourth-Generation Union Member Carries Labor Tradition Forward Celebrating union members this Labor Day weekend

For Local 801 Steward Rachel Beise, union values are more than a workplace principle. They are a family tradition that spans four generations. 

Beise, who serves as a steward, Civic Engagement Officer, Contract Action Team member and 2026 delegate to Delegate Assembly, comes from a long line of union members. Her great-grandfather was a shipbuilder and member of the Carpenters Union. Her grandfather was also a member of the Carpenters Union and her mother joined MAPE when she began working at the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry in the 1990s. Her mother was also a MAPE steward until she retired.   

"Growing up, my grandpa and my mom would talk about unions, history and politics,” Beise said.  

That history is one reason Beise remains deeply committed to the labor movement. “The weekend and this Labor Day vacation, is brought to you by people who fought for those rights before us," she said. "That's why I support unions. Unions are about standing up together." 

She works as an environmental scientist with the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Her division evaluates structures scheduled for repair or replacement and identifies environmental hazards such as asbestos, lead paint and cancer-causing polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs.  

Her connection to organized labor extends beyond her family's stories. Beise remembers her mother's involvement in MAPE during the union's strike 25 years ago over healthcare issues. 

"My mom was a union steward who enjoyed working and being in a union because of the job security it provided," Beise said. 

Beise also experienced labor activism firsthand while working at UPS during her teacher licensure program. In 1998, she joined Teamsters members on the picket line during a strike. 

"My dad told me how proud he was that I was picketing and doing my civic duty," she said. "I've used that experience as an example when talking with MAPE members and telling them, 'Going on strike doesn't have to be as scary as you think it is.'" 

Her family's support of organized labor has continued through the years. When United Auto Workers members went on strike, Beise and her family joined other supporters in providing food, water and supplies. 

"My dad was UAW, so we brought water, food and other things," she said. "If you needed something, the strike captain would make sure it got distributed. If MAPE ever goes on strike again, it won't be easy, but there will be support." 

That support was evident again during MAPE's informational pickets last year during contract negotiations. 

"My parents walked the informational picket line with us," Beise said. "They talked with some of the people I was walking with, and colleagues were interested in hearing about strikes they had participated in." 

As Labor Day approaches, Beise reflected on what the holiday means to her. "First, this holiday was brought to you by union members," she said. "Second, listening to the Trade Union Choir sing 'Bread and Roses.' And third, enjoying a day of rest with no schedules." 

For Beise, Labor Day is both a celebration of workers' achievements and a reminder of the generations of union members whose sacrifices secured the rights and benefits workers enjoy today.