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Minnesota Governor Counts on Labor Unions to Get Re-Elected

Mark Dayton is working hard to court union support.

On the last day of their convention in Bloomington, hundreds of union delegates waited patiently for keynote speaker Gov. Mark Dayton to arrive.

 

When he did, the welcome was raucous. Delegates to the American Federation of State, Municipal and County Employees annual meeting two Saturdays ago erupted in cheers and rose to their feet, clamoring to shake the DFL governor’s hand and pose for pictures as Dayton made his way to the podium.

The Democratic incumbent, in the middle of his first re-election effort, did not disappoint them, delivering a fiery address in which he ticked off his signature accomplishments: a tax hike on Minnesota’s wealthiest to balance the state’s budget, a minimum-wage increase indexed to inflation and an expansion of collective bargaining rights that could yield thousands of new members.

“Without you, I would not be here today,” Dayton said, before asking the crowd for its support one more time.

Unions were crucial in propelling Dayton past his two DFL opponents in the 2010 primary election, few more so than AFSCME Council 5, whose more than 40,000 members make it the largest public-sector union in the state. Since taking office, the former U.S. senator and state auditor has emerged as the most labor-friendly governor Minnesota has seen in decades.

 

Daniel Luzer is GOVERNING's news editor.
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