Your work matters.
Let's prove it together.
Led by action, heart and hope
Our union is at a crucial moment. The working class is being squeezed and our jobs are constantly threatened. We need a steady, unifying leader who hears us, defends our rights, and uses our collective strength to improve our workplaces and our future.
Meet KP
Experience. Dedication. Results.
Kirsten "KP" Peterson began her MAPE journey in 2017 in rural Marshall, Minnesota and has since worked alongside members in every corner of the state, gaining firsthand insight into just how critical public service jobs are for Minnesotans.
She’s running for MAPE president with a vision of celebrating public service, protecting and empowering every member, fighting for fair contracts, safe workplaces, and real work-life balance.
Kirsten’s extensive labor union experience has prepared her for the challenges of the presidency. She has served as DEED Meet and Confer Chair, Regional Negotiator representing both rural and metro regions, Regional Steward Director, Steward, and founding member of the MAPE Organizing Council. As a campaign lead and negotiator during the 2022 Minnesota Nurses Association 15,000‑nurse strike, she is the only professionally trained union negotiator in this race—and the only leader with experience both leading and averting large-scale strikes.
As the MAPE Healthcare Negotiator in the State Employee Group Insurance Program (SEGIP) Health Care coalition, Kirsten led MAPE and 10 other unions to protect our health care and make real plans for how the coalition will grow its power in the future.
She has organized union teams in the public and private sector to achieve meaningful wins like double-digit wage increases, safer workplaces, free mental health care, and agreements that hold managers accountable; because the work MAPE members do has immense value and deserves to be recognized and respected.
Raised in Redwood Falls, Minnesota, the daughter of small business owners, Kirsten often recalls “growing up in the back of an auto parts store,” where she learned the values of community, service to others, and hard work. She now lives in St. Paul with her husband Jordan, their Australian cattle dog Indiana Jones, and their cat Oliver.
"What you can expect from my leadership is simple: A union ready to use every tool to hold our employers accountable, and guided by pragmatic leadership focused on delivering results. We organize thoughtfully, build power together, and take action when it matters most."