by Steve Korby, Former Executive Director of the Lake Superior Area Labor Management Association How are Minnesota’s Area and Industry Labor Management Councils affecting regional and statewide economic development? Let’s review the accomplishments and history of the Lake Superior Area Labor Management Association (LSALMA) in regards to this important topic.
LSALMA was born out of an economic struggle that was handcuffing the Duluth Superior harbor in 1979. A labor-management dispute on the waterfront had grain hauling trucks lined up for miles to the outskirts of town. The strike was making national news and putting Duluth on the map in an unfavorable light. A joint labor-management task force was established to attempt to address this and other potential issues. At those meetings, it was decided that a permanent body to coordinate on-going dialogue between labor and management would be beneficial to the parties and region. With the help of a Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service grant, LSALMA became officially incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1982.
LSALMA’s mission is “to establish and maintain mutually beneficial relationships between organized labor and employers in the western Lake Superior area by promoting open communication, trust, honesty and respect through joint training and education.”
Some of LSALMA’s activities in 2004and this year that are directly linked to economic development include the following:
Inviting representatives of key economic and workforce development groups in the region to participate in discussions of economic issues with members of the LSALMA’s board of directors. These meetings focus on the question of what LSALMA can do to further economic development in the area.
LSALMA Meeting with Industry LeadersWorking with community leaders on workforce development initiatives, for example, being a co-sponsor of the July ‘99 /Economic & Workforce Development Summit held at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center. The summit gathered elected officials, business managers, labor leaders, school administrators/teachers, and public sector representatives from the Duluth-Superior area to discuss future workforce needs. LSALMA is also involved in School-to-Work partnerships in both Duluth and Superior.
LSALMA markets and promotes the benefits and accomplishments of labor management partnerships. LSALMA publishes a quarterly newsletter that features stories of positive results achieved through joint labor management partnerships.
LSALMA offers help to businesses that want to implement cooperative programs. The Association trains committee members and facilitates worksite committees. LSALMA has in its history assisted over 50 worksites and several task force groups. These activities have benefited employers, workers and the community.
LSALMA is a participant of the Duluth Workforce Healthcare Consortium. This group is charged with encouraging students and others into healthcare occupations.
LSALMA sponsors (or cosponsors) 6 - 12 seminars/workshops each year on topics of interest to the business and labor community. Examples of these are: quarterly safety/health training sessions, conflict resolution, interest based collective bargaining, leadership, health care cost control, humor in the workplace, etc.
In summary, most of LSALMA’ s activities can directly or indirectly be linked to economic and workforce development in northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. It is important to note that some impressive economic expansion decisions in the region were based, in part, on the quality of the workforce and the quality of the region’s labor-management relations.
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City of Duluth - Business Development Office
Duluth Chamber of Commerce
Minnesota Power Economic Development
Superior - Douglas County Chamber of Commerce
The Development Association
University of Minnesota - Center for Economic Development
Many LSALMA members are also actively involved in economic and workforce development: