Press Release: Statement from Auditor Blaha on 3/18 Executive Council Decisions

Saint Paul, MN – “I want to commend our state employees and union leadership for focusing on keeping the Minnesotans they serve as safe as possible. Their support of today’s actions says everything you need to know about their excellent level of dedication and professionalism,” said Auditor Blaha. “We are being granted a level of trust that is humbling and compels us to work diligently to continue to be worthy of it.”

Earlier today, the Executive Council was asked to approve measures that would allow state government to act with the flexibility and speed needed to effectively respond to work force needs in this time of unprecedented emergency.

Blaha continued, “This is a two-way street - we are not just asking employees to be flexible with what they have negotiated, but we also need to be flexible and give up some of the things we as management have negotiated.”

“Waiving hard won negotiated items is a serious action. I am glad to see that these suspensions are tied tightly to the state of emergency so they will not extend beyond when they are needed,” Blaha added. “I urge all employers to consider how they can make changes that will lift some of the burden on our employees as they respond to COVID-19.”