Local 101's Dave Skovholt named DLI Employee of the Month

Local 101’s Dave Skovholt has not been with the Dept. of Labor and Industry (DLI) even two years yet but his efforts on behalf of Minnesota’s workers are already being acknowledged as he was named DLI’s January Employee of the Month.

Skovholt implemented DLI’s first wage theft outreach campaign and continues to travel the state to educate Minnesotans about the new wage theft law, one of the strongest laws in the country. “This is the job I was hired to do, and public education and workers’ rights are very important to me,” Skovholt said.

Photo at right: Dave Skovholt (third from left) is congratulated as DLI's January Employee of the Month by (l to r) Commissioner Nancy Leppink, Sara Ellstra, Labor Standards Director John Aiken and Rick Martagon. (Courtesy of Dept. of Labor and Industry)

More than 39,000 workers are victims of wage theft each year, amounting to over $12 million in lost wages.

Skovholt developed and implemented new strategies to find ways to better engage the public and employees about wage theft.

“He continues to build on those strategies and is working with division and executive leadership to advance the communication of the new wage theft law,” wrote the colleagues who nominated him for the Employee of the Month award. “He is open-minded and collaborative, seeking to produce work and make efforts to advance the mission of the department to help workers.”

“I am enjoying the job and this new law is kind of a ‘moment in the sun,’’” Skovholt admitted. “It’s fun to be around something that is new, and people are interested in.”

Skovholt was in Duluth recently leading a seminar with 60 people, many of them involved in human resources field. “We are mostly educating employers, but we also educate employees, unions and other groups,” Slovholt added. 

Sovholt, who serves as a steward in Local 101, said, “Being in a union is important to me. I think it’s a good way to get involved and build relationships with coworkers, a good way to make your voice heard and another way to participate. I asked how I could help and was encouraged to become a steward.” 

Before joining state service and becoming a MAPE member, Skovholt worked as a business agent at Workers United, a SEIU affiliate.