North Dakota union leader opposes presentation from labor attorneys at state conference

BISMARCK—A North Dakota union leader says it's inappropriate for two "anti-employee" attorneys to give a presentation at a conference involving the state Department of Commerce later this month in Fargo.

North Dakota AFL-CIO President Waylon Hedegaard said Friday, Sept. 1, he has been in contact with the governor's office and Commerce Department about the presentation from Dominic Cecere and Joel Abrahamson of the Stinson Leonard Street firm in Minneapolis. They're scheduled to talk about "hot-button labor issues in the current political climate" during the Governor's Workforce & HR Conference Sept. 20.

The state Department of Commerce and the North Dakota Society for Human Resource Management are collaborating to host the three-day event at the Holiday Inn in Fargo, according to the Commerce Department's website.

"We feel that in any employee-employer relationship, the state has to remain neutral," Hedegaard said. He said there are others who could give a presentation on labor law in a neutral manner.

Read more: http://www.inforum.com/news/business/4321744-north-dakota-union-leader-opposes-presentation-labor-attorneys-state