Negotiators for the two largest state employee unions and the State of Minnesota will go back to the bargaining table Oct. 9, 10 days after members voted to reject a state contract offer. Meanwhile, University of Minnesota technical workers announced they have accepted a new contract and clericals and Teamsters will announce their vote results Friday.
?We?re glad to be back at the table,? said Peter Benner, executive director of AFSCME Council 6, which represents 19,000 state workers.
MAPE, the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, also will resume negotiations on its contract covering 10,600 workers. The talks were set with the help of a state mediator.
Just over 80 percent of AFSCME members and two-thirds of MAPE members voted to reject the state contract, which called for a wage freeze and substantial increases in employee health care costs. AFSCME members in the corrections unit rejected the proposal on a 98 percent vote. Because they are essential employees and cannot strike, their contract is going to arbitration.
The unions have not set a strike date, but are conducting informational picketing this week at worksites.
Four groups of University of Minnesota workers voted on a new contract. University technical workers, represented by AFSCME Local 3937, announced Thursday they had accepted the university?s offer on a vote of 57 percent in favor.
University clericals represented by AFSCME Local 3800 will announce the results of a contract vote Friday, Oct. 3, at noon. Rejection would authorize a strike to be called 10 days after a vote by the union?s executive board. AFSCME Locals 3801 and Teamsters Local 320 also will announce the results of their contract votes.
Like the state contract negotiations, health care is a key issue in the university talks.
A crowd of nearly 700 braved freezing winds Tuesday to rally on the university?s Minneapolis campus. Local 3800 President Phyllis Walker said U of M clerical workers need to send a message to the university?s administration ?that we are ready and prepared to strike if management doesn?t agree to a fair contract.? Walker charged the University does not have a budget crisis. ?There is a distribution crisis,? she declared, ?a crisis in values at the top-most levels of this University!?
For more information
Visit the websites of AFSCME Council 6, MAPE, AFSCME Local 3800, AFSCME Local 3937, AFSCME Local 3801 and Teamsters Local 320.
Related article
State workers reject contract offer
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Negotiators for the two largest state employee unions and the State of Minnesota will go back to the bargaining table Oct. 9, 10 days after members voted to reject a state contract offer. Meanwhile, University of Minnesota technical workers announced they have accepted a new contract and clericals and Teamsters will announce their vote results Friday.
?We?re glad to be back at the table,? said Peter Benner, executive director of AFSCME Council 6, which represents 19,000 state workers.
MAPE, the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, also will resume negotiations on its contract covering 10,600 workers. The talks were set with the help of a state mediator.
Just over 80 percent of AFSCME members and two-thirds of MAPE members voted to reject the state contract, which called for a wage freeze and substantial increases in employee health care costs. AFSCME members in the corrections unit rejected the proposal on a 98 percent vote. Because they are essential employees and cannot strike, their contract is going to arbitration.
The unions have not set a strike date, but are conducting informational picketing this week at worksites.
Four groups of University of Minnesota workers voted on a new contract. University technical workers, represented by AFSCME Local 3937, announced Thursday they had accepted the university?s offer on a vote of 57 percent in favor.
University clericals represented by AFSCME Local 3800 will announce the results of a contract vote Friday, Oct. 3, at noon. Rejection would authorize a strike to be called 10 days after a vote by the union?s executive board. AFSCME Locals 3801 and Teamsters Local 320 also will announce the results of their contract votes.
Like the state contract negotiations, health care is a key issue in the university talks.
A crowd of nearly 700 braved freezing winds Tuesday to rally on the university?s Minneapolis campus. Local 3800 President Phyllis Walker said U of M clerical workers need to send a message to the university?s administration ?that we are ready and prepared to strike if management doesn?t agree to a fair contract.? Walker charged the University does not have a budget crisis. ?There is a distribution crisis,? she declared, ?a crisis in values at the top-most levels of this University!?
For more information
Visit the websites of AFSCME Council 6, MAPE, AFSCME Local 3800, AFSCME Local 3937, AFSCME Local 3801 and Teamsters Local 320.
Related article
State workers reject contract offer