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Council proclaims MS Awareness Month; adopts resolutions on graduate worker rights and divestment from ICE contractors

Minneapolis City Council · March 27, 2026

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Summary

The council unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing March 2026 as Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month and also passed policy resolutions urging the University of Minnesota to recognize graduate fellows and trainees and expressing support for residents' efforts to urge European financial institutions to divest from companies that enable DHS/ICE operations.

The Minneapolis City Council opened its March 26 session with an honorary resolution recognizing March 2026 as Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month. The resolution was read in the chamber and adopted unanimously; Kathleen O'Donnell, executive director of the Upper Midwest chapter of the National MS Society, thanked the council and encouraged residents to participate in local MS awareness events.

Nut graf: The meeting also included substantive policy resolutions. The council approved a resolution urging the University of Minnesota to include graduate fellows and trainees in a bargaining unit, and adopted a separate resolution urging European financial institutions to consider divestment from corporations identified in the resolution as enabling DHS/ICE operations.

On the graduate worker resolution (Item 52), Council Member Wansley argued the city should "urge the university to settle the dispute by following the clear language of the state policy and recognizing all graduate workers as part of the bargaining unit." (Council Member Wansley) Supporters cited the work and economic precarity of graduate workers; some colleagues said the city should avoid intruding in another institution's labor-management decisions.

On the divestment and foreign-policy resolutions (Items 53 and 54), proponents tied local experiences to global policy, urging solidarity with residents and transnational advocacy; one sponsor listed specific corporate targets by name and asked the council to transmit positions to federal lawmakers and international forums. The council recorded roll-call votes and moved these resolutions forward; one or more passed on narrow margins as recorded in the roll calls.

Ending: The MS Awareness resolution was adopted unanimously; the policy resolutions also advanced with recorded votes, and council members asked city staff to ensure any legal review or notice processes required for transmitting official positions are followed.