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Check out our latest story below, and some highlights and recent news.

Supporting children means supporting childcare workers

On Monday, May 13, five childcare centers on the Iron Range serving over 300 children will shut down as part of a nationwide Day Without Childcare. They will hold a press conference in Mountain Iron, then travel to St. Paul to join other childcare providers and workers from across Minnesota.

Amanda Maass is a childcare provider and involved with Kids Count On Us, a worker center dedicated to worker organizing and legislative protections for the essential workers. Isa’s interview with her is the first story in a new series we are calling the Greater Minnesota Listening Project: Iron Range Daycare Worker on Organizing for Better Care for Children.

#KnowYourRights

As reports of the discovery of mass graves in Gaza made recent headlines, nine student activists, including a member of AFSCME 3800, were arrested for “trespassing” on public land as part of a protest movement that swept across U.S. universities. Since then, the student solidarity movement has grown, and students are demanding divestment from and a ban of weapons companies on the University of Minnesota campus. The university sent a statement Thursday morning in response to the demands after meeting with student representatives. The students are continuing to put pressure on the Regents after the university disclosed its investments in companies based in or doing business with Israel.

Clerical workers at the university with AFSCME 3800 put out a statement condemning the arrests. The Grad Labor Union-UE 1105 and Teamsters 320 put out a joint statement in response to building closures affecting workers. The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota released a statement from executive director Deepinder Mayell: 

“Students and faculty at public universities who express political opinions, criticize foreign governments, or speak out in favor of any cause or movement have a First Amendment right to express themselves.”

Immigrant rights are workers rights

On May 1, workers and community members from over 40 organizations and unions marched down Lake Street in South Minneapolis in celebration of May Day, a day for expressing solidarity with working class movements across the globe. Read about the origins of the holiday, which are rooted in police