MINNEAPOLIS — Public works employees in Minneapolis are celebrating Monday night after securing a new contract giving them the largest wage increase in the history of their union, LIUNA Local 363.
“This historic contract was achieved through the tireless efforts and countless hours of hard work by the bargaining team, our strike committee, and every single member who volunteered their time to fight for a better future for all of us," said AJ Lange, the union's business manager.
Late last month, more than 400 Minneapolis Public Works employees were poised to strike after an almost-unanimous vote, calling for more pay and safer work conditions. The new contract reached Monday includes a nearly 30% wage-increase over the next three years, health and safety protections, seniority rights, limits on temp workers, holiday pay for dual certifications, greater union rights and protections and establishing a means of addressing staffing and scheduling problems.
“This victory shows that when we are united in solidarity with our union brothers and sisters, we have the power to win. When we stand together, we can't be ignored. When we fight, we win,” Lange said in the statement.
After the union members voted in late February, the city of Minneapolis said it "recognizes and appreciates" the employees' "hard work" and that it continued to "bargain in good faith" to avoid a strike.
"I am grateful to our Local 363 employees and to our team of labor negotiators who worked diligently for months to come to an agreement that recognizes the value of our hardworking employees and the services they provide to our residents,” said City Operations Officer Margaret Anderson Kelliher in a statement on Tuesday.
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