LERA Special Conference Tours 2016

Wednesday, May 25, 2016, 3 - 6 pm

Meet in Hotel Lobby at Millennium Hotel, Minneapolis, MN. Tours are available to attendees of the LERA 68th Annual Meeting, May 26-29, 2016 for an additional fee.

Tour Guides

 

John Budd,

University of Minnesota

James Bialke,

SEIU Minnesota

Barb Kucera,

Workday Minnesota

REGISTRATION

To register for any of these tours, please register for the LERA 68th Annual Meeting. You will have the opportunity to add a tour to your registration. Visit this page to get complete information about the conference, and register: http://lera.memberclickls.net/lera-68-annual-meeting


Tour 1: Women's Walking Tour with History Player Eva Walsh

Group facilitated by Barb Kucera, Workday Minnesota
Location: Mill City Museum, 704 S. Second Street, Minneapolis (and river-front area)
A costumed actor portraying labor writer Eva Valesh will lead a walking tour, highlighting the factories whose working conditions she exposed in a series of articles in 1888 and 1889. This tour also will examine the jobs available to women in the late 19th and early 20th century, and some key events in women’s labor history in Minneapolis.
This tour will also include admission to the Mill City Museum, to be used anytime.

 Tour 2: Project Labor Agreement at the Vikings Stadium

Group facilitated by James Bialke, SEIU Minnesota
Location: Vikings Stadium, 1010 South 7th St, Minneapolis, 55415
The beautiful new construction of the Vikings Stadium is highlighted by a Project Labor Agreement, which is the largest Project Labor Agreement in the history of the state. Work on the $763 million Minnesota Vikings Stadium is an all-union job. Construction involves four million work hours, with around 1400 workers. The stadium owners negotiated a PLA with the Minneapolis Building and Construction Trades Council, that ensured work continued on schedule without any labor disputes and that the job is an all-union job.
The  stadium does require certain attire for safety, and a signed release.

Tour 3: Labor Relations at the Toro Company Plant

Group facilitated by John Budd, University of Minnesota
Location: The Toro Company, 4800 Valley Industrial Blvd. South, Shakopee, MN  55379
A plant tour and labor relations discussion at the Toro Company's Shakopee plant that produces precise metal components for its lawnmowers and other products. This company has an interesting history beginning in 1914, and continues to be a major employer in Minneapolis, with 5,185 employees and $1.78 billion in sales.

Representative(s) from Toro management and the IUE-CWA will share their histories, their perspectives on maintaining positive labor relations, and the most challenging issues they face with each other, followed by a Q&A with attendees. This is a plant tour so proper attire is necessary, including jeans or pants (no shorts, skirts, or dresses) and flat-soled shoes (no open-toed shoes or heels).

Logistics:

For those registering for a tour, please plan to check-in with your tour guide in the hotel lobby
a few minutes before 3 pm on Wednesday, May 25, 2016
at the Millennium Hotel, 1313 Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis, MN.
They will show you to your comfortable air-conditioned mini-bus just outside that will take you to your destinations,
and you can plan on being back at the hotel by 6 pm.