Lawmakers and union members gathered on the Minnesota State Capitol steps on Thursday to speak out against Gov. Tim Walz's plan for thousands of state employees to return to the office.

Gov. Tim Walz has directed workers to report to offices or job sites at least 50 percent of the time beginning in June. Employee unions are pushing back.

Starting this summer, tens of thousands of state employees who have been working largely remotely since the start of the pandemic will have to start coming back into the office part time. Minnesota Gov.