MINNEAPOLIS – AFSCME’s Staff the Front Lines bus tour made a stop here today and featured the first hiring hall of the summer.

Minnesota House Majority Leader Jamie Long and Deputy Commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget Erin Campbell joined members of AFSCME Council 5 and AFSCME Council 65 to encourage Minnesotans to apply for open public service jobs.

The press conference took place outside Minneapolis’ United Labor Center, where a hiring hall took place this morning. Employers from eight Minnesota state agencies attended the event.

From nurses to sanitation workers to corrections officers, chronic short staffing is undermining the effective delivery of public services that Minnesotans rely on. AFSCME launched the Staff the Front Lines initiative this year to partner with elected officials to recruit and retain the essential workers who keep our communities running.

The Staff the Front Lines bus will stop and hold recruitment events in more than 20 major cities across the country this summer. Minneapolis was the third stop. The bus has already traveled to Rochester, New York, and Lansing, Michigan.

Long pointed out that state jobs come with union benefits.

“This session, we passed some of the largest investments in Minnesota workers in state history. The good news is that, because of these investments in our public sector, we are raising wages for Minnesotans. We are keeping up with the importance of public service and making sure it comes with the high wages that these jobs deserve – and also good benefits,” he said.

Campbell said public service jobs are fulfilling and rewarding.

“We know state government offers the kind of work experience that many people across America want: purposeful jobs where they can make a difference,” she said. “We’re taking steps to ensure that we can attract the workforce that we need today, tomorrow and in the future.”

Council 65 Vice President Peggy Kinzler stressed the advantages of state workers having a seat at the table when it comes to making workplace decisions.

“Thanks to having a union … we can consistently improve our pay and other benefits. This is especially important for underrepresented communities and communities of color, where public service jobs are a path to the middle class. We want a public service workforce that reflects the diversity of our great state. There is a job out there that fits your passion, and it’s open,” she said.

Council 5 President Eric Hesse described the importance of careers in facilities that treat mentally ill individuals and those recovering from chemical addiction.

“We have open positions ready to apply for right now and you can join our workforce and have excellent benefits, a union that protects your economic security and the deep understanding that you are contributing to the greater good of our society,” he said. “These workplaces are greatly improved when we have more talented people joining our profession.”

To learn more about AFSCME’s national bus tour, visit StaffTheFrontLines.org.