Minneapolis City Council passes resolution in favor of striking park workers

The Minneapolis City Council passed a resolution on Tuesday in support of striking park workers, further escalating a labor dispute that has proven unusual in many ways.

A few hours later, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board released its final offer to the union, walking away from the bargaining table and telling union leaders to put the contract to members for a vote by Friday.

Union executive director AJ Lange said “the strike is in full swing” and he was “open” to putting the proposal to a vote by members, but added: “The board does not dictate the union’s internal procedures or the way we conduct our votes.”

The final offer followed 18 hours of negotiations on Monday and Tuesday that both sides portrayed as highly controversial. It includes a 10.25 percent pay increase over three years, including an increased market adjustment of $1.75 for 13 positions over the last two years.

Lange said the union accepted that part of the proposal but continued to oppose concessions that would limit “basic fairness” in the workplace and accused the contract of containing anti-union language.

The MPRB statement said leadership had “refused” to agree to proposed wording that would make park operations “more efficient and productive.”

Council adopts resolution in solidarity with workers

The Minneapolis City Council Resolution urges the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and the union to “continue negotiations in good faith” and reach a fair collective bargaining agreement to end the strike that began on July 4.

The resolution passed by a vote of 11 to 1 while negotiations between union leadership and park employees were still ongoing and the latest offer had not yet been made.

Council member Aurin Chowdhury, who represents District 12, was among those who voted yes. She spoke at a press conference before the meeting and called the strike a “historic” moment that deserves increased attention. This is the first time in the body’s 141-year history that park workers have gone on strike.

“We praise the best parks in the country without treating our employees the best they can,” she said. “That is our clear message. That is what we want to see changed here.”

Chowdhury urged that workers “get what they deserve” and that the board refrain from making “cuts” that the union calls regressive. These include a new contract clause that limits the number of union representatives per work area and subjects workers to a one-year probationary period before any previously guaranteed incremental pay increase.

The latest offer no longer specifies the number of shop stewards per shift, but limits the number of shop stewards in the collective bargaining unit to five percent.

The Board has stated that some of the proposed language is similar to other collective bargaining agreements and, when combined with proposed wage increases, including a higher starting wage for new employees, is needed to increase accountability.

Chowdhury also raised concerns she has heard from residents about the cleanup effort after the storm, as the forestry department is largely on strike. The park’s arborists are primarily responsible for removing fallen trees from public roads and sidewalks. A spokesman for the department said the strike has delayed cleanup efforts, but with help from the public works department, the work is getting done.

On Monday, Superintendent Al Bangoura sent a letter to council members regarding the impending resolution, assuring that the board has “always maintained fair and competitive wages for our employees.”

Bangoura wrote that the union leaders’ latest counterproposal widened the gap between the board’s “last, best and final” offer and the union’s previous bid — bringing the cost up from $6.7 million to $7.5 million. Earlier this week, the union’s executive director, AJ Lange, disputed that claim, saying they had asked for less than they had previously.

Bangoura also said the union’s demand would result in property tax increases and staff cuts.

Bangoura’s announcement appeared to have little impact on the resolution’s progress, as most council members voted yes – even though the resolution did not explicitly call for a property tax increase to compensate for the higher wages.

Council member Linea Palmisano, who represents District 13, said she is pro-union but voted no, saying she had hoped the City Council would find other ways to support the parks department and the union. She said the resolution differs from previous expressions of support and considers it a “risky” measure.

“They are a separate entity and when we interfere in their affairs, we step on the toes of our park commissioners,” Palmisano said. “My role in this is to talk to Local 363, talk to our park commissioners, talk to our park superintendent, as I have done.”

Palmisano called for the resolution to be withdrawn, but her request received no support.

Council President Elliot Payne did not comment on the resolution at the meeting, but explained his intention to vote yes in advance.

“This can all be very confusing, but we don’t need to make it unnecessarily complicated. It’s actually very simple,” he said. “This is a unionized city, and we stand with our workers. That’s why we’re asking the parks board to stay at the bargaining table, negotiate in good faith, and end this strike today.”

In a press conference on Tuesday evening following the end of negotiations, the union’s executive director, AJ Lange, called on Mayor Jacob Frey to intervene.

A spokesman for the mayor’s office said the mayor was “working with both sides to reach an agreement.”