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Minneapolis Park workers reject latest contract offer; strike continues into third week

Minneapolis Park workers reject latest contract offer; strike continues into third week

On Friday, Minneapolis Park workers, represented by LIUNA Local 363, rejected the Park Board’s latest contract offer, with more than 91 percent voting against it.

Management and union members have been trying to reach an agreement on a new contract for weeks, resulting in the current strike, which began on July 4. The strike was originally scheduled to last a week, but the union announced last week that it would continue indefinitely.

The announcement comes days after the Park Board filed an unfair labor practice lawsuit against striking union members.

“This overwhelming vote leaves no room for doubt,” said AJ Lange, business leader of LIUNA Local 363. “We are ready to end this strike today, but management needs to stay at the table and show real commitment to negotiating. If they stand up, we will have this resolved in no time.”

Both parties entered into negotiations Friday morning for a contract regarding Park Board seasonal employees. After several hours, no resolution was reached for that contract and Park Board continued to push for provisions in the full-time contract.

Local 363 indicates that they have already accepted the Park Board’s proposed pay increase and are prepared to accept the proposed pay scale.

“The remaining problem is that the Council continues to use anti-labor language, which will cause irreparable long-term damage to workers,” Lange said.

The union reiterates that since negotiations initially stalled on July 1, the Park Board has taken “several bad faith actions” that have stalled negotiations, including:

  • Responded to 94% of Park Workers voting to strike by significantly worsening their offer, including adding anti-worker language, specifically proposed language that would take away union rights to annual wage increases that are currently guaranteed, and make them subject to management discretion in the future. This language would allow for favoritism, bias, and discrimination. Local 363 resisted Superintendent Bangoura’s calls to put the offer to a vote – it is significantly worse than the offer that members voted to strike in response to.
  • Threatened to unlawfully lock out striking workers.
  • Dedicated youth teams are deployed to carry out tasks for striking workers. This exposes young workers, especially those of color, to complex labor issues. It can also encourage strikebreaking, undermining the principles of fair labor practices and worker solidarity.
  • On July 1, he left the negotiating table.
  • The Park Board’s July 17 meeting was canceled, citing the “seriousness of Local 363’s ongoing negotiations.”
  • As of Friday, the Park Board continued to pursue proposals that were deliberately vague or convoluted in language to obscure the harm they would cause, including:
    • Steward Restriction: By firing all union stewards except two with compromised rights and privileges, imposing further restrictions on their activities, and illegally interfering in union affairs through invasive tracking, it becomes more difficult to obtain fair treatment on the job.
    • Probationary period: Doubling of the probationary period.
  • Mayor Frey has rejected the offer to bring both sides back to the table to negotiate a fair contract and end the strike.