What you should know about the potential impact of the park strike on Minneapolis’ green spaces this Fourth of July holiday

It’s unclear what impact the Minneapolis park workers’ strike will have on the city’s park system when it begins on July 4, but no cancellations or closures are expected at this time.

On Tuesday, the union representing more than 300 Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board workers announced a week-long strike beginning on Independence Day, the “busiest” time of the year, said AJ Lang, executive director of Local 363 of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA).

For years, Minneapolis park workers have been demanding better wages, health insurance and safety measures, said LIUNA, a union that represents more than 200 permanent employees and over 100 seasonal workers.

Although the weather could have an impact, the committee said the strike would not affect the “Red, White & Boom” fireworks display scheduled for 10 p.m. Thursday.

The board announced that it would decide by 6 p.m. Thursday whether the fireworks would take place.

Robin Smothers, a spokeswoman for the board, said Tuesday that the board has developed a plan to adjust maintenance services to minimize the impact of the strike on park visitors.

She said Wednesday that the closures will depend on how many workers walk off work next week. Many workers had already been approved for the holidays, so the total number will not be known until Monday.

Until then, here’s what we know about the potential impacts:

Will swimming pools, beaches, community buildings, toilets or playgrounds be closed?

No more closures are expected from Wednesday, Smothers said.

Will the city’s golf courses be operational?

Starting Wednesday, yes, Smothers said. The board operates seven courses and its ability to operate all of them could change over the course of the weekend, she said.

Will staff continue to test the beaches for E. coli and algae?

Yes. The employees who conduct these tests are not members of the union that represents other park employees, Smothers said. The status of the city’s beaches can be found on the parks department’s website.

Will garbage continue to be collected in the parks?

Yes. Garbage collection is generally done by city employees, not parks department employees, Smothers said.

Are reservations for park pavilions affected?

There will be no interruptions or cancellations for currently or future reserved events, Smothers said.