MINNEAPOLIS — University of Minnesota service workers and members of Teamsters Local 320 will begin their second week of contract mediation with the school on Friday.
Teamsters Local 320, which represents about 1,500 service workers at the university, is closing out their 10-day mediation period one day before possibly going on strike Saturday.
Less than two weeks ago, the union voted to authorize the strike by a margin of 93%, according to Brian Aldes, the vice president of the Teamsters Local 320 union.
The service workers are pushing for higher wages and better hiring practices. An official working with the union explains that as the strike gets closer, "support from students, community members and elected officials continues to grow."
"They're feeding the students, they're also cleaning, they're also fixing things," said former U of M Regent Michael Hsu. "It would be a disaster if those people stopped showing up for work."
Last week, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders shared his support for the UMN service workers saying:
“I stand in solidarity with Teamsters Local 320 at the University of Minnesota in the fight for better wages & working conditions. If UMN can afford to pay its president over $1 million and give her a 22% raise, it can afford to pay its workers a minimum wage of $20 an hour.”
If the Teamsters union and the university are not able to reach a deal Friday, the service workers' have the option to officially begin striking Saturday. But in its latest strike plan, the union said the strike will begin on the Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, October 26, 2022 and last for four days.
The strike on the University of Minnesota Duluth campus will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, October 29, 2022.
In a statement Thursday, the University of Minnesota wrote it had engaged in 12 hours of mediation with the Teamsters:
We are committed to staying at the negotiating table for as long as necessary to reach an equitable settlement that ensures our employees are fairly compensated and rewarded for their work.
We are aware that the Teamsters sent their members this notice today, providing instructions for a strike on the Twin Cities and Duluth campuses beginning next week. The Teamsters’ notice does acknowledge the significant movement that the University has made on economic issues, including our current offer of $20/hour floor for Teamster employees.
Should the Teamsters strike next week, the University has plans to limit disruptions to our campuses, and while we expect some disruptions, we are confident that our education, research, and service missions will continue. We will keep you updated in the days ahead should a strike become imminent and as we have more information to share.
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