My Story
Steven Robert Schroer
Son of a Disabled Veteran Father
My father served in the Navy. While serving his country, he was exposed to chemicals that would lead to my father having Parkinson’s disease. Despite my father's inability to work due to his condition and a physician declaring him disabled, the federal government refused to grant him the Social Security disability payments he earned with his service. We ended up having to sue the federal government for my father to receive his disability payments.
Grew Up Working Class
My family has always been working class. My father working as a civil engineering tech (associate's degree), and my mother working in retail. Ours is unfortunately a story that many working families know well. My father was laid off during the Great Recession, struggling to find steady work for years. My parents lost our house in the recession. The house my father grew up in. My parents have still not been able to get back onto the property ladder, renting since. In 2016, my father got laid off again, and shortly thereafter, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. I know what it's like to have to go to the local church to be able to eat that night. I know what it's like, helping my mother pay the bills with my high school part-time job. I know what it's like for hard-working Americans.
Lakeville Is My Home Town
Lakeville has been my family’s home for most of my life. My family has lived in Lakeville since we moved here during the recession. I grew up moving down Ipava Ave every few years. Starting at Eastview Elementary, moving on to Century Middle School, and graduating from Lakeville North High School in 2018. I was French Club President and Theatre Captain. We attended All Saints Catholic church. I worked many jobs here in Lakeville, and even when I moved up to the cities for a few years for school I made sure to visit often.
Major Organizer for My Union at My Work
I work at the Guthrie Theater, and starting in early 2024, several of my coworkers and I began the work to unionize our workplace. We were seeing wage stagnation, the elimination of all full-time positions, and a deterioration of working conditions. We reached out to I.A.T.S.E. Local 13, which already represented stagehands and costume workers at the Guthrie, and organized our workplace. In the election later that year, we won with just shy of a ¾ margin. We are now in negotiations for our first contract. I also now work for Local 13 in the call dispatch office, helping to schedule thousands of union workers across Minnesota for work.
I Interned at The State Senate
I interned for Senator Port of Burnsville and Savage at the state senate. There, I got to learn and witness not only the rules that govern the legislature but also the dynamics that shape legislation. I also canvassed 57B in 2024. talking to all of you and listening to your hopes, dreams, and frustrations.
