Legislative priorities 2018

2018 Legislative Core Priorities

• MAPE supports equitable compensation and respectful treatment of all state employees.
• MAPE supports efforts to provide sustainable resources for state government operations.
• MAPE supports a middle-class, family-friendly agenda ensuring equal opportunity for all.

2018 Legislative Positions

MAPE supports equitable compensation and respectful treatment of all state employees.

• We support the right of all workers to organize and bargain collectively.
• We oppose any legislation that modifies or removes agreements made during the collective bargaining process.
• We support the preservation and strengthening of the Public Employees Labor Relations Act (PELRA) and oppose the use of professional employees in unclassified service.
• We believe labor unions should have the same right as other political contributors to participate in the political process.
• We support affirmative action emphasizing increased recruitment and greater attention to expanding diversity in the state workforce.
• We support the elimination of disparate treatment of employees based on gender, age, color, religion, marital status, race, disability, military/veteran status, sexual orientation, public assistance status, union affiliation, political affiliation, gender identity and expression, parental status and immigration status/national origin.
• We support the establishment of a sick leave pool.
• We support providing increases to employees who are paid below their position’s fair market value.
• We support salary supplements for all state agencies.
• We support the right of state employees to run for public office.
• We support only the continuation and improvement of our defined benefit pension plan. We oppose any attempt to switch to a defined contribution retirement plan.
• We support proportional pension plan contribution rate increases and fully funded retirement plans where employees do not pay a greater contribution rate than the employer.
• We oppose the use of state pension funds for any purpose beyond pensions.
• We support efforts to offer early retirement incentives to state employees.
• We support a continuing budget resolution.

MAPE supports efforts to provide sustainable resources for state government operations.

• We support funding all state agencies, including Minnesota State, at 100 percent cost of operations.
• We support staffing levels that ensure high quality state services.
• We oppose privatization, outsourcing and contracting of state services.
• We support strategic succession planning including funding for employees on leadership, career development and a fee and tuition waiver program for all state employees.
• We support moving towards public options including a single-payer, universal health care system as a way to reduce costs and provide affordable and accessible health care for all.
• We support funding for the maintenance and improvements of our statewide infrastructure for the safety and economic growth of our state.
• We support increased funding for improving workplaces that currently jeopardize employee health and safety.
• We support resource conservation measures and other green initiatives.
• We support the retention of public data for institutional historical purposes.
• We oppose shifts and gimmicks to solve budget deficits and instead support sustainable funding options.
• We oppose proposals limiting the ability to raise public revenue.
• We support fair and transparent accounting principles.

MAPE supports a middle-class, family-friendly agenda ensuring equal opportunity for all.

• We support employer provided paid parental and paid family leave for all employees.
• We oppose all proposals making it more difficult to organize and maintain labor unions.
• We support the rights to peaceful assembly.
• We believe all workers have a right to earn a fair and equitable living wage. No employee should be required to work uncompensated hours.
• We support a minimum wage increase, indexed to inflation, until a livable wage is maintained.
• We support efforts to reduce income inequality.
• We support progressive taxation policies that ask the wealthy to pay their fair share.
• We support a resolution asking Congress to remove the deadline for ratification by the states of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the United States Constitution.
• We support dedicated staffing for the Office on the Economic Status of Women.
• We support the Impartial Justice Act, ensuring an impartial, fair and accountable judicial system for Minnesota.
• We oppose recognizing corporations as people (e.g. Citizen’s United).
• We support restoring voting rights to Minnesotans living in our community who are ineligible to vote due to felony conviction.
• We believe in advancing health equity through supporting policies that help create the conditions in which all people have the opportunity to attain their highest level of health.