Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Ed Markey, Bob Casey Introduce Warehouse Worker Protection Act to Address Dangerous Warehouse Quota Systems
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.), all members of the Senate Labor Committee, introduced the Warehouse Worker Protection Act, legislation that would protect warehouse workers by prohibiting dangerous work speed quotas that lead to high rates of worker injuries. The Senators introduced the legislation alongside workers and union leaders, including Teamsters Vice President Tom Erickson – the first Minnesota Teamster to take international office in over a decade – and Ladell Roberts, an organizer with Teamsters Local 120 in Blaine, MN. Large companies seek to maximize profits by using quota systems that push workers to their physical limits, resulting in high injury rates that can be permanently disabling. A new report released by the National Employment Law Project (NELP) and other worker groups demonstrates that one in fifteen Amazon workers sustain injuries. Amazon represents 79 percent of large warehouse employment but 86 percent of all injuries. Recent data shows also that more than half of workers reported that their production rate makes it hard for them to use the bathroom at least some of the time. “When workers have the power to come together and organize for better working conditions and safer workplaces, we all do better. These big companies hold a lot of power, and with their productivity metrics and quotas, they are literally controlling the lives of workers minute by minute,” said Senator Smith. “With this bill, we are saying, enough. We’re putting accountability back in this system and power back in the hands of workers subjected to systems that drive profits for billionaires while they
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Announces Federal Funding for Solar Energy for Tribal Communities and Low-Income Households
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced two grants that will expand residential solar projects in Minnesota. The first grant will help increase solar adoption in lower-income communities who are often excluded from clean energy projects. The second award will help build solar energy capacity for Minnesota Tribal communities. These “Solar for All” grants are made possible by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which both Klobuchar and Smith helped get passed into law. “When it comes to clean energy, I’ve always said we can either lead or follow. I think Minnesota should lead, and that’s exactly what these grants will enable us to do,” said Senator Tina Smith. “These grants will make solar power to accessible Minnesota communities who have traditionally been excluded from the energy transition, bringing them an energy source that is both clean and affordable.” Minnesota will benefit from two Solar for All grants. The Minnesota Department of Commerce will use their $62,450,000 funding to deliver financial support and technical assistance to low-income areas and communities historically left behind in the clean energy transition across Minnesota. The Midwest Tribal Energy Resources Association, in conjunction with their partners GRID Alternatives, the Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy, and the Native CDFI Network, will use their $62,330,000 to deploy Tribally-owned residential solar, along with storage and necessary upgrades, for the benefit of the 35 Tribes located in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. ###
Klobuchar, Smith Announce USDA Funding to Combat Chronic Wasting Disease in Minnesota
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is providing $546,535 in funding to help Minnesota combat Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). CWD is a contagious neurological disorder that affects deer and elk, posing a serious threat to deer populations across the country. “This funding will help ensure that we can combat Chronic Wasting Disease and maintain our state’s outdoor recreation and economy,” Klobuchar said. “CWD has become a real threat to our state’s deer and elk populations and continued efforts to bolster research
Klobuchar, Smith, Colleagues Urge Administration to Preserve Health Care Providers’ Access to Pandemic Relief Funding
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) led 20 colleagues in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, expressing concerns about the recent change in reporting requirements for hospitals and health systems that receive relief funds from the Provider Relief Fund (PRF). This change could force providers to return relief funding that they have already received. Rural hospitals and hospitals that serve high numbers of low-income, elderly, and severely ill patients — could be particularly burdened by the new reporting requirements, due to their already thin financial
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Presses Congressional Leaders to Help People Experiencing Homelessness During the Pandemic
WASHINGTON, D.C. [10/8/20]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) is urging Senate and House leaders to pay attention to the rapidly growing crisis of unsheltered homelessness that is hitting people of color hardest, and to provide housing assistance and funding for social services in future coronavirus relief packages. “The unprecedented public health and economic crisis has exacerbated these existing disparities in housing, employment, and health outcomes. This summer, we have seen COVID-19 hit hardest communities of color and those without a safe place to call home,” Sen. Smith wrote to leadership. “In the Twin Cities, Indigenous, Black, and Brown individuals were far more likely to experience a job loss
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, John Hoeven Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Recognize October as National Co-op Month
MINNESOTA [10/2/20]— U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.) introduced a bipartisan resolution to designate October 2020 as National Co-op Month. Their resolution recognizes the co-op business model for its contributions to the economy, the jobs it creates and its positive impacts on local communities. The Senators said that co-ops can be found in almost every economic sector throughout the United States, and that during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic many co-ops have taken additional steps to serve their member-owners and communities. “In 1948 Minnesota became the first state to issue a Co-op Month proclamation,” said Sen. Smith. “I’m honored to help continue our state’s
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