ST. PAUL, Minn. – Workers from AFSCME Council 5, AFSCME Council 65, and other unions rallied on the steps of the state Capitol Tuesday to sound the alarm on Project 2025, the plan to weaken public services in Minnesota and take freedoms away from working people.
Union members detailed how Project 2025 would crush unions, eliminate overtime protections, repeal the $35 cap on insulin for seniors, end negotiations for lower prescription drug prices, and more.
“Project 2025 is about one thing, it’s about dismantling the rights we’ve fought for, taking away our power and leaving us vulnerable,” said Shannon Douvier, executive director of AFSCME Council 65. “We cannot afford to let this happen. Together, we will stand up, fight back, and protect our future – our jobs, our families, and our country.”
Bart Andersen, executive director of AFSCME Council 5, said: “They want to outlaw public service unions completely. They want to take away the tools we use to keep our workplaces safe, our families healthy, maintain our standard of living and ensure we have the equipment we need to make sure we go home to our families at night.”
Members and leaders of AFGE, the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE), the Minnesota AFL-CIO, and Education Minnesota also described the threats posed by Project 2025.
The event featured union members ripping signs detailing the threat to fundamental freedoms that we’d all have taken away if Project 2025 becomes reality. Those include the freedom to join a union, access affordable health care, and retire with dignity.