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Dear Community,
A number of labor struggles in both public and private sector workforces across the country are heating up. Public Works employees with LiUNA 363 voted over 98% to authorize a strike if the administration’s bargaining team does not offer them a fair contract. This coming Monday, hundreds of janitorial and security workers represented by SEIU Local 26 are voting on whether or not to strike. Uber and Lyft drivers are continuing to organize and ask City Council to pass an ordinance guaranteeing them minimum wage equivalents. These are just a few of the labor organizations taking action to demand the wages, rights, and dignity they deserve. I recommend keeping an eye on local labor in the coming weeks and months.
Sincerely,
Council Member Robin Wonsley
At the Council meeting on February 22nd, I gave notice of intent to introduce an ordinance related to mandatory disclosure of renters’ rights information. The goals of this ordinance is to help renters make informed choices and empower them to access their rights.
The ordinance would mandate that property owners disclose their rental license tier status and any recent code violations to potential renters before that renter signs a lease. This would ensure that a prospective tenant is aware of recent or ongoing violations at the property and has the basic information they need to research the property owner’s track record. Knowing that all prospective tenants will have the opportunity to review their history before signing a lease should incentivize good behavior by property owners.
The ordinance would also mandate that the landlord provides all tenants with a standardized document outlining their rights as renters and ways to seek recourse if their rights are violated. This is a simple way to ensure that all renters have access to basic information and are empowered to take action if their landlords are not respecting their rights.
Minneapolis is a majority renter city, and Ward 2 is home to tens of thousands of working class renters. This ordinance is one piece of how the city can empower renters to rent safely and enforce their rights. Giving notice of intent to introduce is the first step in the legislative process. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues, staff, and community on the mandatory disclosure ordinance and bringing it forward for a vote this spring.
Key votes: No votes taken. Council will vote on introduction and referral of the ordinance at the next Council meeting on March 7th at 9:30am.
Over 98% of Minneapolis Public Works employees represented by LiUNA 363 have voted to strike if the Frey administration’s bargaining team does not offer them a fair contract. This bargaining unit includes over 400 workers who carry out vital city services such as road maintenance, snow plowing, and trash pickup. In recent years, their scope of work has increased as the Frey administration has asked them to provide services related to encampment response. I recommend that residents read the powerful letter that LiUNA leadership sent to the Mayor and City Council that lays out the context for this vote.
As a reminder, Council Members do not have a role in labor negotiations. Labor Relations is a division within the executive administration. Council only has the authority to accept or reject the tentative agreements reached by a bargaining unit and Labor Relations through our legislative process.
I stand in solidarity with LIUNA members and urge the Frey administration to bargain for a fair contract that ensures competitive wages and benefits and dignified work conditions for these essential workers.
Key votes: No votes taken.
Last week I shared that I had authored a “migrant crisis legislative directive.” This week I changed the title of the legislative directive to “Support for displaced populations” after receiving feedback about the original title. The term “migrant crisis” is often used by popular media to describe people fleeing and crossing borders. It’s often accompanied by images of families stuck in limbo under inhumane conditions, or dying on the way to seeking safety. These are people, fellow humans, fleeing or have fled from persecution, civil conflict, war, natural disasters or climate change-exacerbated natural disasters, and economic hardship—with many of those reasons going hand-in-hand. Popular media often doesn’t address the root causes of why displacement happens, and instead casts displaced people as the problem in the crisis. This technical change of the language to “support for displaced populations” then provides more humanity to issue at hand. The content of the legislative directive has not changed.
It asks staff to present the current program, services, and partnerships available to local immigrants residing in Minneapolis, as well as an overview of current policies, practices, and protocols in place for city staff who interact with immigrant and refugee populations. This can be the starting place for how we want to expand or develop the city’s practices to best ensure we have the appropriate infrastructure in place to welcome the new influx of migrants.
Key votes: Council voted 10-0 to approve the legislative directive about supporting displaced populations. Three Council Members were absent. There will be a presentation on the legislative directive at the Administration and Enterprise Oversight Committee by June 30th, as well as possible study sessions for more informal discussion.
Council voted to approve my legislative directive on municipal childcare. The directive will provide Council and the public with updates on the current landscape of childcare in Minneapolis, including both qualitative and quantitative data on the availability of affordable childcare for families and the wage and employment conditions for childcare workers.
Affordable childcare is a crisis that is impacting working class families across the county and here in Minneapolis. Childcare access and childcare work are at the intersection of a number of equity issues. Ensuring that all families have access to affordable, high quality childcare and that all childcare work has living wages and dignified work conditions is crucial to meeting our equity and public health goals. Just last week the City of Minneapolis was honored as a Child Friendly City, and clearly having an equitable childcare system is a key part of that.
Key votes: Council voted 9-1 to approve the legislative directive about how Minneapolis can support affordable childcare and high quality jobs for childcare workers. Three Council Members were absent, and Council Member Vetaw was the only vote of opposition. There will be a presentation on the legislative directive at the Public Health and Safety Committee by May 1st.
The Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee (CJCC) is a group convened by Hennepin County to support multi-jurisdictional collaboration on matters related to criminal justice. This term, Council Member Rainville and I are representing the City Council on the CJCC.
The CJCC’s top priority is to reduce system barriers and create opportunities through innovative programs and policies by creating the most effective service models for those experiencing both public safety and human service needs. I look forward to supporting this work on the CJCC and ensuring Minneapolis plays a positive role in advancing these initiatives.
Key votes: No votes taken.
There will be a public hearing on the ordinance guaranteeing a $15 minimum wage equivalent to Uber and Lyft drivers. The public hearing will be on February 27th at 1:30pm at the Business, Housing, and Zoning Committee. All residents are welcome to come speak for 2 minutes. If you are unable to attend, you can submit a written comment by emailing CouncilComment@minneapolismn.gov.
Following the public hearing, the Committee will vote on whether or not to recommend the ordinance for approval by the full Council. The Council will vote on the ordinance on March 7th at 9:30am.
Key votes: Business, Housing and Zoning Committee will vote on the $15 minimum compensation ordinance on February 27th at 1:30pm following a public hearing. The Council will vote on the ordinance on March 7th at 9:30am.
I am authoring an ordinance to change the City Charter to give Minneapolis residents the power of ballot initiative and referendum. Ballot initiative and referendum means residents can collect signatures to put certain types of policies on the ballot for voters to decide on. Over 70 cities in Minnesota allow their citizens to exercise this democratic tool including St Paul and Duluth.
Residents need direct democratic tools like ballot initiative to advance and protect their interests. Elected officials are under huge pressure by big business and institutions of power to protect the status quo. This can result in representation that does not reflect the vast majority of residents. Ballot initiatives give residents another option when they are faced with bureaucratic stalling tactics, vetoes, and other barriers. Ballot initiative is a check and balance on City Hall that Minneapolis residents deserve to have access to, just like residents of Saint Paul and 70 other Minnesota cities.
The ordinance language will be introduced and discussed at the Committee of the Whole meeting on March 4th at 1:30pm. All residents are welcome to submit a written comment by emailing CouncilComment@minneapolismn.gov.
Key votes: Committee of the Whole will discuss the language for the Ballot Initiative and Referendum Ordinance on March 4th at 1:30pm and vote to set a public hearing for the Committee of the Whole meeting on March 19th.
Council approved the Budget Committee work plan for 2024-2025. The work plan outlines the process and timelines by which Council will structure the municipal budget process and fiscal oversight of the enterprise.
The Budget Committee work plan is an important step forward in Council fulfilling our budgetary and oversight authority under the new government structure. It outlines a transparent, consistent, and democratic process that is publicly accessible and standardized. It clarifies the roles and responsibilities of the executive administration, Mayor, and Council bodies. This work has important overlap with all aspects of the Council’s efficacy at policymaking, budgeting, and oversight.
I applaud Budget Committee Chair Chughtai and Vice Chair Koski for their leadership on this work plan. I look forward to continuing to work with Budget Committee leadership, the Oversight and Evaluation Division, and other partners to keep strengthening the infrastructure that Council uses to fulfill our authority and serve residents.
Key votes: Council votes 10-0 to approve the Budget Committee work plan. Three Council Members were absent
Council had our first meeting of the Consent Decree and Settlement Agreement Subcommittee this year. In it, we approved the first two contracts to provide new training to MPD recruits and officers. These are the first of many such changes that are intended to get MPD in compliance with the state and federal requirements of the agreements.
During the discussion, I asked if the contract could also extend its Use of Force training to members of the Community Commission on Police Oversight (CCPO). CCPO Members are required to receive this training in order to serve on the review panels where cases of potential misconduct by police officers are reviewed. At the most recent CCPO meeting that took place last Monday,commissioners shared frustrations about the lack of response from MPD in providing them with training such as Use of Force. This is an unnecessary barrier to the CCPO’s basic functioning and ability to be successful. The City Attorney confirmed that there is nothing that prohibits this contract from including training for CCPO Members. I will continue working with staff to ensure CCPO Members get their required trainings and are able to serve the positions they were appointed to, and do meaningful police oversight and accountability work.
Key votes: Council unanimously approves two contracts for new Use of Force training for MPD recruits and officers.
All Prospect Park residents and community members are invited to a Community Meeting co-hosted by the Ward 2 office, Prospect Park Association, and BrittFit50 Indigenous Health. There will be updates from Park Board Commissioner Billy Menz, 2nd Precinct Inspector Torborg and Crime Prevention Specialist Teila Zoller, Prospect Park Association, as well as my staff and I. There will be updates and discussion on local priorities including the Witch’s Hat, Malcolm and University, Valhalla Clinic, District Energy System, Glendale, Luxton Park, the Missing Link, and more.
The meeting room has capacity for about 45 people. Please wear a mask. A recording of the meeting will be available online after the event concludes. If you have questions you would like any of the speakers to address, you can email them to Ward2@minneapolismn.gov.
Prospect Park Community Meeting
Monday January 26th 6:30-8pm
Luxton Rec Center Multipurpose Room
I visited Morning Glory Montessori, the first ever all-boys, faith-based, Afrocentric Montessori school for children 3-6 that is located in Ward 2 in Seward. Along with State Representative Samantha Sencer-Mura, I got a tour of the school and had the opportunity to speak with school leadership and members of the board, which includes Seward residents.
Ward 2 residents spoke passionately about how excited they are for Morning Glory Montessori to join the Seward community and how much they value the school’s mission to create a safe, nurturing environment and empowering refuge that affirms, inspires, and supports Black boys.
I had a great time at Education Minnesota’s 2nd Annual Educator of Color Conference. Thank you for hosting this important event that builds community and advances equity amongst public school educators.
I attended the Community Connections Conference Youth Engagement Session and learned so much from the youth and community organizations in attendance. This valuable space created the opportunity to connect policymakers and youth advocates with youth themselves to discuss their needs and priorities. I look forward to building off of these relationships to continue advancing policies that positively impact young people in Minneapolis.
Email Council Member Wonsley and her staff at ward2@minneapolismn.gov
Or contact staff directly:
Policy Aide Celeste Robinson
Policy Aide Qannani Omar
Share your opinion or address an issue, use the Ward 2 contact form
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