Met Council AFSCME workers vote to strike

More than 700 Metropolitan Council employees could go on strike.

According to AFSCME Council 5 and AFSCME Local 668, 94% of union members voted to strike after failing to reach agreement on a collective bargaining agreement.

The hundreds of union members represent many departments of the Met Council, including sanitation workers, Metro Transit accident investigators, payroll, information technology and more.

They are demanding salary increases, an end to performance-related pay and an end to the use of interns instead of hiring full-time staff.

“For too long, our union members at the Metropolitan Council have been underpaid and undervalued, and now we are saying ‘enough’ and have voted to strike in historic numbers. We are fighting for fair raises that reflect our hard work and dedication to providing quality services to the nearly 3 million residents of the metropolitan area we serve,” said Tiffany Leff, President of AFSCME Local 668. “We oppose unfair merit-based raises that occur in secret and exacerbate pay inequality. All of our members deserve fair and transparent compensation. Our communities deserve and expect Metropolitan Council leadership to treat their workforce with the dignity and respect we deserve.”

As required by law, the MN Bureau of Mediation Services must be notified of strike authorization. There will be a 10-day “cooling off period” during which both parties will enter mediation before a strike occurs.