Minneapolis parks commissioners to hear about contract negotiations as workers’ strike continues
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A special meeting of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board on Monday may shed light on contract negotiations, as union park workers continue a week-long strike. Three members of the board requested the meeting to learn more about the negotiations.
“Some might disagree, (but) I feel that that is the time when the board may need to have some some role in that process,” said Commissioner Billy Menz, who requested the special session along with Commissioners Becky Alper and Tom Olsen.
Menz represents an area that covers parks in northeast and southeast Minneapolis and said he believes it’s inappropriate for board members to be involved with negotiations. But he said this may be a situation where the board has a “duty” to understand more and potentially provide some guidance to staff and the superintendent. He said the strike indicates “negotiations are stalled.”
The meeting is open to the public, but the union will not be given time to speak. Commissioners will hear from MPRB staff and negotiating staff.
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“In this instance, we’re going to be able to get more into the details that we would normally not do. And maybe we shouldn’t, but I think that a lot of us commissioners don’t understand necessarily what the sticking points are at this point,” Menz said, adding that this level of information is something commissioners usually would not “have access to or really want access to until the contract comes before us.”
Menz said he and other commissioners “support workers” and are “very concerned” with the lack of resolution.
LIUNA Local 363 organizers rejected the board’s final contract offer, which followed seven months of bargaining. They walked out on July 4. The Board says negotiations have been in good faith and the final offer is fair.
The union announced plans Monday to file an unfair labor practice charge against the MPRB, accusing the board of a discriminatory lockout.
The board had previously maintained it was legal to bar workers from returning to their jobs until an agreement was ratified but sent out an email to MPRB employees the same day stating they would allow workers to return to work Thursday.
“No employee who went on strike will be turned away,” the statement from the park board said. “In order to keep those striking employees from returning to work, the MPRB would have to keep all Local 363 members from working. Keeping those employees who have continued to work throughout this period from working, and keeping those employees who wish to return to work from working, is not in MPRB’s value set.”
“I think a lot of people are getting tired but we're gonna keep pushing through and make sure we get what we deserve,” said Anthony Smith, an arborist and union steward who spent the holiday weekend at parks across the city, picketing from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.
The Board estimates about 40 percent of the more than 300 unionized park workers didn't show up to work on the Fourth, but Smith says the walkout’s impact will be more clear this week. He estimated that in the forestry division, about 40 of 50 workers showed up to picket.
As for park upkeep, both union members and passing park-users say it's hard to see a difference. In some popular parks around Lake Harriet, there were no overflowing trash cans or littered grounds.
There have been some changes. The Minneapolis Pops Orchestra canceled their July 6 and 7 shows at the Bandshell because of the strike, writing in a Facebook post that they rely on the workers for concert productions. And the Minnesota Orchestra canceled its free Lake Harriet Symphony for the Cities scheduled for Monday evening, also citing the strike.
Major points of contention between the union and negotiators from the board include the size of wage raises and hazard protections. Union leaders also take issue with parts of the contract they say could increase bias against workers and limit union representation.
The park board says its offer will cost $4.6 million over three years. The board says the union's latest proposal would cost at least $2 million more.