Federal & State Regulations | Unfair labor practices - Minnesota

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Summary of differences between federal and state regulations

Minnesota has specific laws regarding labor relations in private sector employment; however, these laws are not substantially different from the National Labor Relations Act and Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act regarding unions in private sector employment.

Unfair labor practices

Under Minnesota law, it is an unfair labor practice for an employer:

To institute a lockout of its employees in violation of a valid collective bargaining agreement between the employer and its employees or labor organization if the employees at the time are in good faith complying with the provisions of the agreement, or to violate the terms and conditions of the bargaining agreement;
To institute a lockout of its employees in violation of section 179.06 or 179.07;
To encourage or discourage membership in a labor organization by discrimination in regard to hire or tenure of employment or any terms or conditions of employment; provided, that this clause does not apply to the provisions of collective bargaining agreements entered into voluntarily by an employer and its employees or a labor organization representing the employees as a bargaining agent,;
To discharge or otherwise to discriminate against an employee because the employee has signed or filed an affidavit, petition, or complaint or given information or testimony under this chapter;
To spy directly or through agents or any other persons upon activities of employees or their representatives in the exercise of their legal rights;
To distribute or circulate a blacklist of individuals exercising a legal right or of members of a labor organization for the purpose of preventing individuals who are blacklisted from obtaining or retaining employment;
To engage or contract for the services of a person who is an employee of another if the employee is paid a wage that is less than the wage to be paid by the engaging or contracting employer under an existing union contract for work of the same grade or classification;
To willfully and knowingly utilize a professional strikebreaker to replace an employee or employees involved in a strike or lockout at a place of business located within the state.
To grant or offer to grant the status of permanent replacement employee to a person for performing bargaining unit work for an employer during a lockout of employees in a labor organization or during a strike of employees in a labor organization authorized by a representative of employees.

Miscellaneous provisions

Minnesota law includes the following provisions, among others:

Employers have the right to associate together for the purpose of collective bargaining.
Can be a misdemeanor for operating a motor vehicle in a place of business or employment where there is a clear notice that a labor dispute is in progress.
Employers cannot engage or contract for the services of a person who is an employee of another if the employee is paid a wage that is less than the wage to be paid by the engaging or contracting employer under an existing union contract for work of the same grade or classification.

Right to work

The state has no right to work law.