Media reports say Minneapolis Park employees striking over negotiations of a fair salary increase also filed charges against the Park and Recreation Board for preventing employees from joining a strike until a contract is ratified.
Allegations Against The MPRB
LIUNA 363, the union representing park workers, lodged an unfair labor practice charge against the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) on Monday for allegedly intimidating employees preparing to strike and threatening to prevent them from returning to work until a contract is ratified.
An employee named Lanel Lane said he did not want to strike. He expressed frustration over the escalating situation, saying the board is pushing them while attempting to intimidate every worker from striking.
Workers were threatened with job loss, demotions, and loss of seniority and were informed that they would not be allowed to return to work until the strike concluded and the contract was ratified, which is illegal, AJ Lange with LIUNA 363 said in a KSTP-TV interview.
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The board had initially asserted that it was within its rights to prevent workers from returning to their jobs until a ratified agreement was reached. However, the same day, MPR News reported that they emailed MPRB employees indicating that workers would be permitted to return to work on Thursday.
The Board estimates that approximately 40% of the over 300 unionized park workers did not report to work on the Fourth of July. However, Anthony Smith, a union steward, said the full impact of the walkout will become more apparent this week, especially for around 40 out of 50 workers participating in the picketing in the forestry division.
Ongoing Pay Raise Negotiations
The negotiations over the terms of a pay raise have been ongoing for seven months between the two parties.
Wages and job safety are the major issues, according to the union, which plans to picket ahead of the meeting on Monday at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden starting at 10:00 a.m.
Audacy reported that the Park employees' strike follows the Minneapolis Park Board's announcement of their "best and final contract offer," a 10% raise spread over three years.
According to a union study, Minneapolis Parks workers are earning $6-10 less than their counterparts in neighboring cities. The union is advocating for a $5 market adjustment to align wages. In contrast, the Park Board has presented its final offer, which includes a 10% pay raise spread over the next three years. The board describes its proposal as fair, equitable, and competitive. However, workers argue that this increase is not enough.
The Minneapolis Pops Orchestra announced the cancellation of their July 6 and 7 shows at the Bandshell due to the strike, explaining their reliance on the workers for concert productions in a Facebook post. The Minnesota Orchestra also canceled its free Lake Harriet Symphony for the Cities event scheduled for Monday evening, citing the ongoing strike, MPR News reported.
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