Minnesota’s Democratic governor and legislature has enacted one of the most pro-worker packages of legislation that any US state has passed in decades which includes paid family and medical leave, prohibits non-compete clauses, bars employers from holding anti-union captive audience meetings, and strengthens protections for meatpacking workers and Amazon warehouse employees.

Minnesota’s new legislation mandates paid sick days, allows teachers’ unions to bargain over educator-to-student ratios and creates a statewide council to improve conditions for nursing home workers.

These moves come as labor rights in the US – which are far more limited than in other industrial nations – have come under sustained attack from business groups and many conservative politicians.

Minnesota’s commissioner of labor and industry, Nicole Blissenbach, said the new laws “truly make Minnesota the best state for workers and their families”.

The legislation’s backers say these pro-worker measures were made possible by the Democrats’ winning control of Minnesota’s state senate in last November’s midterm elections, giving that party trifecta control of the house, senate and governor’s office. The Democrats now have a 34-to-33 majority in the state senate.

“This legislation represents work that has been a long time coming,” said Jennifer McEwen, a Democrat who is chair of the senate labor committee. “These are things that most workers in our peer nations take for granted and enjoy.” The US is the...

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