Posts tagged "Minnesota"

A massive strike against the big box superstore Walmart has spread to nearly 12 cities nationwide. This is the very first retail worker strike against the store in the company's history. The massive employment dispute began in early October when workers walked off the job in a number of cities including cities in Minnesota. According to reports, the store walkouts included 88 workers from 30 stores, a small percentage of the company's overall workforce.

As stated in a United Food and Commercial Workers press release, the employment-related disputes are in response to allegations that the company retaliates against workers for speaking out about needed store improvements. Among the many issues that workers are protesting are the stores low pay and lack of benefits.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is in the news once again for violations of U.S. employment law and employment disputes. The company has been sued a number of times by the federal government as well as by its own employees and customers for violations of U.S. law. The long history of legal conflict with the mega retailer even involves a 2008 employment dispute case in Minnesota that Wal-Mart ended up settling for $54 million.

The case in Minnesota centered on hourly employees being required to go through training while not clocked in and not being allowed to take mandated meal and rest breaks. This was only one case among many in a decade of allegations against the retailer. Other allegations include gender discrimination, illegal immigrant workers, overtime pay and much more.

Current law prohibits employers from discriminating against employees for a variety of factors including race, gender, national origin, religion and disability. Some states set even broader protections which shield pregnant and same-sex employees from workplace discrimination. Due to the recent financial crisis, states are beginning to consider additional protections.

In a number of states, including Minnesota, state legislators are considering bills seeking to prohibit employers from discriminating against the unemployed. The proposed legislation seeks to impose fines for employers that refuse to hire prospective employees simply because they have not been employed for a period of time.

The former senate communications chief for state Sen. Amy Koch is laying the groundwork for a wrongful termination lawsuit on the grounds of gender discrimination.

The former staffer confirmed that he had an affair with Sen. Koch, which led to her abrupt resignation from her leadership post last December. Sen. Koch, a Republican from Buffalo, did not name the staffer with whom she had a relationship.

Comedy Central host Stephen Colbert was recently absent from his television show and reportedly took a leave to care for his aging mother. For someone like Colbert, returning to work is probably not something he is worried about. But for those without a television show, returning to work is not always guaranteed, even if an individual is taking leave to care for a sick or aging loved one.

The Family and Medical Leave Act became law in 1993 under President Bill Clinton. The law provides a number of protections for workers and their family members. Under the law, employees are granted 12 weeks leave to care for a family member, to care for a newborn, or because of a serious health condition. After the 12 weeks, the employee has the right to return to their previously held position.

According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, workplace discrimination complaints are on the rise in the northern Midwest. In the three-state area served by the EEOC's Minneapolis office, federal workplace discrimination complaints increased by four percent between 2010 and 2011.

According to data released by the EEOC's Minneapolis office, 1,157 workplace discrimination complaints were filed in 2010. In 2011, that number increased to 1,203. The acting director of the EEOC's Minneapolis office stated that these numbers show that workplace discrimination still exists.