Union education staff are fighting for students and workers

Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images.

As summer draws to a close and students across the country prepare to head back to school, there’s a renewed sense of excitement and hope sweeping across our nation and here in Minnesota. Whether we are Black, white, or brown, Native or newcomer, the increased attention on Minnesota is giving us a chance to show that we believe in a future where every child has the freedom to learn, thrive, and reach their full potential.

Our union, SEIU Local 284, is nearly 10,000 strong bringing together E-12 staff and higher education workers. We support our students as bus drivers, education support professionals (ESPs), maintenance staff, adjunct faculty, food service workers and more. We not only fight for our students and community every day at work, but we know the power of coming together to change the rules and make our state the best place for kids and workers.

With Gov. Tim Walz recently named as Kamala Harris’ vice presidential candidate, the successes of Minnesota are now in the national spotlight, and for good reason. By uniting across our differences, we’ve secured historic wins that are making Minnesota a place where everyone can thrive.

Under Walz’s leadership and DFL majorities in the state House and Senate, we’ve seen historic funding for public education, universal free school meals and a groundbreaking law allowing school workers like paras, food service workers, and bus drivers in our union to have access to unemployment insurance in the summer. Thanks to these efforts, we are beginning to see improvements in the school bus driver shortage , which means our students are getting to school on time, and ready to learn.

Despite the broad public support for these common-sense policies, some politicians seek to deny these opportunities to others. MAGA Republicans have tried to stop each of these policies, and some have even said they’d roll back these gains. In Minnesota, we’ve stood up to these moves to take us backward. We’ve fought back when some have tried to divide us by the color of our skin, our religion, our wealth or who we love.

We know a small group at the top use these tactics to divide us so we can’t come together to win things like we’ve won here in Minnesota. By fighting against those tactics and uniting across our differences, we’ve passed paid family and medical leave, earned sick and safe time and a series of labor laws that protect workers and strengthen our economy. And we’re not done yet.

But to make sure these wins aren’t just a Minnesota success story, but an American one, we need to stand together. The future that certain politicians offer is one of division, control and attacks on our freedoms.

We want our fellow 49 states to experience the same successes we’ve had, and that means pushing back against the hate and division being peddled by those who have nothing else to offer.

So, as we begin this new school year, we’re not just celebrating our victories — we’re gearing up to defend them and expand on them. This includes passing the ESP Bill of Rights , which advocates for the respect, living wages, and fair working conditions that ESPs deserve. By securing these rights, we strengthen the foundation of our education system and ensure that every staff member has the support they need to contribute to our students’ success.

Minnesota has shown what’s possible when we come together to create a better world for ourselves, our families, and our neighbors. No matter where you live, when we unite as voters, we have the power to swear in leaders who share our vision for a brighter future.