Welcome back to The Flyover, your daily digest of important, overlooked, and/or interesting Minnesota news stories.
Teamsters Win! Hear 'Em Discuss Labor Victory at the U of M.
"We’ll get 'er done, Willie," Gov. Tim Walz promised Friday after speaking with Willie Nelson, whose Farm Aid 40 festival refused to cross the picket line to Huntington Bank Stadium while around 1,400 striking Teamsters picketed through campus. Sure enough, late Friday the five-day strike ended with Teamsters Local 320 agreeing to a tentative contract with the U. (See financial deets here.)
"After a massive rally of strikers and supporters on Friday, the university surrendered," Grady Johnson, a Teamster-repped gardener at the U, told Racket via email over the weekend. "The administration withdrew its so-called 'last, best and final offer' and replaced [it] with a new offer that met strikers’ demands. The strike was won by rank-and-file power and public solidarity."
Here's a collection of reactions Johnson provided on behalf his union brothers and sisters.
"I’m so proud of all of us. We made history. We showed the city that when workers fight back we can win."—Christy O’Connor, shop steward and negotiating committee member, Minneapolis
"This is what happens when people stick together. Our members are from different places and speak many different languages and we all worked together and won."—Steve Tesfagiorgis, shop steward and strike captain, Minneapolis
"We stood up for ourselves and won respect. The University doubted us and tried to bully us every step of the way. They thought they could bully us into accepting their insulting proposal last week but we voted it down by 82%. They thought they could scare us out of going on strike, but we struck and we won."—Kayli Staubus, shop steward and negotiating committee member, Duluth
"Members won this strike and we would not have been able to do it without community and labor support, from Farm Aid and Willie Nelson, to Teamster trucks honoring our lines, and all the other unions and community groups who provided support."—Grady Johnson, shop steward and strike captain, Minneapolis
Annunciation Families Demand Lawmakers Do Something—Anything—About Gun Violence
“My mind was flooded with images of my children shot and lying dead in their own pool of blood. I experienced a level of fear and horror I never knew existed,” Annunciation parent Carla Maldonado said, breaking into tears on Monday before before an 11-member Senate working group on curbing gun violence. Dana Ferguson of MPR News reports that Maldonado wasn't the only one in tears at the Capitol, writing, "As she and other family members and medical professionals who had treated children injured [from the recent Annunciation Church shooting in Minneapolis] before the panel for its first public hearing, members of the audience cried aloud."
Religious leaders and government officials joined the chorus of voices in support of banning assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines, as well as tweaking gun storage rules and safety training requirements. The working group can't enact any official changes, but if the Legislature were called back for a special session, as Gov. Tim Walz has floated, gun control laws could be passed with the expediency grieving families say the moment demands. Problem is, Ferguson points out, "With the Legislature narrowly divided, proposals will need bipartisan backing to advance."
Unfortunately, here's what we're hearing on the other side of the aisle.
RIP Palmer's
Palmer's, a great Minneapolis tavern if there ever was one, ended its 119-year West Bank run on Sunday evening. For the definitive history/obituary, consult Racket's recent longform deep dive into what killed the boozy institution. And for a recap of the 11-hour party to shut the place down, check out this nice report from the Strib's Chris Riemenschneider.
We learn that regulars had grown annoyed at "funeral crashers”—folks who began popping into Palmer's only after its demise was announced. We learn that "Dylan may or may not have patronized Palmer’s during his 1960-1961 Minneapolis tenure"—thanks Chris! We learn that Amity Dimock, co-founder of nearby Hard Times Cafe, is helping organize The Palm Club—a group that'll host Palmer's-style concerts at the nearby Red Sea or elsewhere.
We learn that the Brass Messengers led "a beautiful, New Orleans-style funeral procession" from the patio into the bar, where 98-year-old James Samuel “Cornbread” Harris Jr. joined his son, pop and R&B production giant Jimmy Jam, for one final Palmer's jam. Cornbread's "Church of Cornbread" Sunday jams have been a weekly feature since 2008; a bartender told patrons the tradition will continue over at the Schooner Tavern. And finally, we learn that around 10 p.m., a "deluge of ice and water and expletives" from Palmer's staffers sent mourners out the door, a fitting end to the farewell party that was branded as “You’ve All Been 86’d!”
Buy the Racket Hoodie
Forgive us for blurring the line between journalism and commerce here, but frankly it's headline-worthy news that only about 20 (!) Racket hoodies remain from our just-released limited run of 60. We tried timing 'em to fall weather, though climate change had other, muggier ideas. In any event: These ultra-soft and ultra-fashionable sweatshirts are almost GONE—get yours now!
