Park workers in Minneapolis announce intention to strike

More than 300 Minneapolis Parks Department employees will go on strike Thursday if they cannot reach an agreement with the parks department.

They have been sitting at the negotiating table for months and members of LiUNA Local 363 said this was a last resort.

On a summer holiday when parks across Minneapolis are crowded, parks employees want their absence to speak volumes, putting up picket signs to tell their story.

“We know these services are very valuable, and the Fourth of July holiday shows that,” said volunteer Kate Black.

The Minneapolis Park Board staff maintains the city’s parks, golf courses, athletic fields and recreation centers.

Union members raised concerns about pay, benefits and working conditions.

“It seems like they have turned their back on the workers, the negotiations and the people of Minneapolis,” said the union representative from LiUNDA Local 363.

According to a union study, Minneapolis Parks Department employees earn about $6 to $10 less than their colleagues in surrounding cities.

They are demanding a market adjustment of $5.

“I don’t want to go on strike. I’m upset that it’s come to this,” said Lanel Lane, a Minneapolis parks department employee.

The Minneapolis Parks Department said in a statement that its team was negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement and called the proposal fair, equitable and competitive.

The board’s latest offer includes a salary increase of 10 percent over the next three years.

“In addition to the changes to the contract language, the wage-related details of this offer include a 10.25% wage increase over three years, as well as two market adjustments for 13 positions. Based on previous wage scales and increases, this increase exceeds the total wage package of the City of Minneapolis’ 363 employees over the same three-year period,” the Minneapolis Park Board said in a statement.

The Minneapolis Parks Authority said in a statement that if a strike does occur on July 4, maintenance work will be adjusted to minimize the impact on park visitors.