Late Tuesday, Gov. Tim Walz surprised around 40,000 state workers by announcing a mandatory 50% return-to-office policy for employees who live within 75 miles of their main work location.
“This policy change supports the economic vitality of office districts like downtown St. Paul, bringing foot traffic back to businesses and public spaces,” the governor's office says of the directive, which is set to take effect June 1. The move set off waves of online anger, with the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees union threatening legal action and even a strike.
RacketCast has never waded into breaking news territory, but considering the scope of this order and its abrupt timeliness, we asked MAPE President Megan Dayton to hop on the pod to discuss how her union's 18,000ish workers are processing the news. Spoiler: They've not been this pissed off in recent memory. Let us know if you enjoy this type of bonus episode, and we'll keep 'em coming.
Update: MAPE will stage a protest Saturday, March 29, outside of the Governor's Mansion (1006 Summit Ave., St. Paul) from 10 a.m. until noon.
Subscribe to RacketCast wherever you get your podcasts—Spotify, Apple Music, Pocket Casts, etc. Wanna advertise on RacketCast? Email us at advertise@racketmn.com. Special thanks to local band Van Stee for supplying our podcast music!
