Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Join Bipartisan Group of 29 Senators in Denouncing Amazon’s Persistent Mistreatment of Delivery Drivers
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith joined 27 of their Senate colleagues in a bipartisan letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy requesting information about the company’s Delivery Service Partner (DSP) program and its efforts to avoid legal liability for the persistent mistreatment of DSP drivers. The senators are also seeking information regarding Amazon’s justification for refusing to bargain with union representatives of DSP employees and requiring DSPs to sign non-poaching agreements. “Amazon’s freight truck drivers haul a variety of goods across highways every day, and their branded delivery vehicles are a virtually unavoidable feature in neighborhoods all over the country. Though nearly all Americans are familiar with and reliant on the services of Amazon- branded vehicles – which are operated by drivers in Amazon-branded vests who exclusively deliver packages with big, bold Amazon labels – few realize that Amazon refuses to acknowledge the workers who operate these vehicles as its legal employees,” the senators wrote. The senators detailed the dangerous working conditions of DSP drivers, pointing to reporting that suggests this system takes an awful toll on drivers, who have been forced to work in extreme heat without air conditioning, make deliveries in the snow without proper safety equipment like snow tires or chains, and are pressured to skip breaks. Some drivers have been forced to work for nearly twelve hours without access to a restroom. “Amazon is also facing numerous allegations of flagrant violations of the National Labor Relations Act, including refusal to recognize and bargain
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Request an Inspector General Audit of Minnesota-North Dakota Postal Service
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (both D – MN) have formally requested that the Inspector General of the United States Postal Service conduct a full audit of the Minnesota-North Dakota District following persistent reports across Minnesota of delayed and unreliable mail service. “We believe it is time for the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to investigate the dysfunction of the MN-ND District,” wrote the Senators. “Minnesotans rely on the Postal Service as an essential public service. Deliveries of medicine, Social Security checks and paychecks, and correspondence with loved ones are critical, especially in rural communities. But too often, the Postal Service is falling short in meeting the reasonable expectations of Minnesotans.” “Even more concerning is that attempts to elevate the concerns of Minnesotans to the USPS have either been dismissed or met with assurances that everything is fine—that the reports of our constituents are incorrect,” wrote the Senators. “This lack of transparency deepens our concern that the serious issues in the MN-ND district are not receiving adequate attention.” The Office of the Inspector General is an independent agency within the USPS that conducts essential oversight over Postal Service operations. Audits conducted by the Inspector General provide an informed, unbiased view of postal operations with a focus on preventing misuse of funds, promoting efficiency and integrity, and sharing information with the USPS Board of Governors, Congress, and USPS management. In their request for a full audit, the senators seek answers to the following issues: Smith and Klobuchar have long worked to improve the reliability of postal service in Minnesota. The
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Provides Guidance for How Minnesotans Can Access Assistance Passed in Bipartisan Coronavirus Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/31/20]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) provided guidance on how Minnesotans can access resources made available to them from the emergency coronavirus (COVID-19) legislation passed by Congress and signed into law last week, including how much people will receive in payments, information on unemployment insurance (UI), and resources available to small businesses. Sen. Smith’s resource also addresses support for student loans, child care, schools, local and Tribal governments, and hospitals and health systems. You can access Sen. Smith’s answers to frequently asked questions here or below: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About the $2 Trillion Funding Package Passed to Respond to the Coronavirus Pandemic On
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith, Democratic Senate Colleagues Urge Trump Administration to Expand Child Care Options for Workers and Families, Provide Guidance for Providers During Coronavirus Pandemic
WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/31/20]—Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—along with 20 of their Democratic Senate colleagues—urged the Office of Child Care within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take additional steps to expand child care options for health care workers and others on the frontlines responding to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The senators also advocated for providers by urging the Office of Child Care to provide critical guidance so centers that remain open know how to take appropriate action to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19, and to share details of how the emergency funding
Klobuchar, Smith, Stauber Announce $4.5 million Sediment Cleanup in the St. Louis River Area of Concern in Duluth, Minnesota
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, and Representative Pete Stauber (MN-08) announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has signed a $4.5 million agreement to remediate contaminated sediment in the St. Louis River Area of Concern (AOC) on Lake Superior. The St. Louis River AOC is one of 43 toxic hotspots identified by the United States and Canada in the Great Lakes basin, and is the second largest AOC in the United States. EPA and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) will fund the work through a Great Lakes Legacy Act cost-sharing partnership. “The Great Lakes are a
As Farm Prices Slump Due to Coronavirus, U.S. Senators Klobuchar, Smith Announce USDA Crop Insurance Flexibilities to Support Producers
WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/30/20]—U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.)—both members of the Senate Agriculture Committee—said that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) is providing flexibilities to support producers who are facing slumping commodity prices and a possible labor shortage due to COVID-19. These accommodations include additional time and deferring interest on premium and other payments, extending the date for production reports, and enabling producers to send notifications and reports electronically. “Minnesotans across the state are facing economic turmoil caused by the coronavirus pandemic and that includes our farmers,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “As the backbone of our state’s economy, farmers need our support during periods
English