WORKERS FOUGHT FOR IMPORTANT WINS DURING THE 2025 LEGISLATIVE SESSION. AS WE LOOK FORWARD, MONTANA NEEDS LEGISLATORS LOOKING TO BUILD.

Message from Montana AFL-CIO Executive Secretary Jason Small:

Another legislative session has come and gone. Over the last several months working families were paying close attention to what was being prioritized and who was working towards building Montana, protecting our workforce, and strengthening our communities.

From the very earliest days of the session, workers faced attacks on unions and our right to organize and collectively bargain for better wages and working conditions. From school voucher bills, to attacks on nurses, to attempts to curtail our freedom of speech and association, we continued to see some lawmakers push bad bills that waste taxpayers time, don’t represent the needs of our communities or help build Montana.

In February, workers successfully defeated another attempt to make Montana a so-called “Right to Work” state. Hundreds of workers from across Montana showed up at the Capitol in Helena for an early morning hearing, with some driving through the night to get to Helena and voice their opposition. More than 120 workers spoke during this session's “Right to Work” hearing, highlighting the history of Montana as a proud union state and the benefits of working under strong collective bargaining agreements that protect our wages, safety and help fund high quality training centers.

Every day Montanans are working together to solve difficult problems, provide for our families, and build Montana. While Montana’s legislative session was often heated and filled with theater, real work was accomplished because of legislators who prioritized policy over party on both sides of the aisle.

We need elected officials that are independent and focused on the needs of our communities. Not elected officials who are worried more about being elevated in their parties for career or cultural reasons. It’s rare for any of us to find ourselves in rooms where we agree on all topics. Giving meaningful voice to the voters and working families means making compromises, being transparent, and taking accountability. In hyper partisan times, there is often too much pressure for elected officials to toe the line and not be responsive to the hard truths of today’s economic realities.

Much, much more needs to be done to deal with barriers for people to get into the workforce, funding for our schools and public services, and protecting Montana’s workforce, but we were proud to see elected officials taking a stand on principal, often, against party affiliation to protect the programs and services that allow Montana to move forward with dignity.

Good policy is about building Montana through programs that lift everyone up. In 2019 I sponsored the Medicaid expansion bill in the state senate because it is a great example of a building approach to policy.

Through additional economic activity as a result of Medicaid, the program has more than paid for itself. More than 200,000 people in our state are covered by Medicaid, including 80,000 children and one in four births. Since Medicaid Expansion, the state has seen the creation of over 7,500 jobs as a direct result of Medicaid, generating $775 million in economic activity.

Medicaid helps small Montana businesses remain competitive with larger corporations by providing healthcare that would otherwise be paid for out of pocket by Montana’s workers, or by the employer. By ensuring access to affordable medical care for Montanans, Medicaid allows working families to stay in Montana and continue working instead of seeking employment elsewhere. Additionally, Medicaid has increased workforce participation rates by as much as 9% for low income Montanans, removing a key barrier to employment and empowering our communities.

Whether you are a union member or not, thank you to every worker who showed up and had your voices heard this legislative session. Together, we will continue to build Montana and fight for a fair and prosperous future.

In solidarity,

Jason Small