A special meeting of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Monday may shed light on contract negotiations, as union park workers continue a week-long strike. Three members of the board requested the meeting to learn more about the negotiations.þþ“Some might disagree, I feel that that is the time when the board may need to have some some role in that process,” said Commissioner Billy Menz, who requested the special session along with Commissioners Becky Alper and Tom Olsen.þþHe represents an area that covers parks in northeast and southeast Minneapolis and believes it's inappropriate for board members to be involved with negotiations. Those who requested the meeting wanted to learn more from the board’s negotiators.þþThe meeting is open to the public, but the union will not be given time to speak.þþLIUNA Local 363 organizers rejected the board’s final contract offer, which followed seven months of bargaining. They walked out on July 4. The Board says negotiations have been in good faith and the final offer is fair.þþThe union says they’re prepared to file an unfair labor practice charge accusing the board of a discriminatory lockout. The board maintains it's legal to bar workers from returning to their jobs until a contract is ratified.þþ“I think a lot of people are getting tired but we're gonna keep pushing through and make sure we get what we deserve,” said Anthony Smith, an arborist and union steward who spent the holiday weekend at parks across the city, picketing from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.þþThe Board estimates about 40 percent of the more than 300 unionized park workers didn't show up to work on the Fourth, but Smith says the walkout’s impact will be more clear this week. He estimated that in the forestry division, about 40 of 50 workers showed up to picket.þþAs for park upkeep, both union members and passing park-users say it's hard to see a difference. In some popular parks around Lake Harriet, there were no overflowing trash cans or littered grounds.þþThere have been some changes. The Minneapolis Pops Orchestra canceled their July 6 and 7 shows at the Bandshell because of the strike, writing in a Facebook post that they rely on the workers for concert productions. And the Minnesota Orchestra canceled its free Lake Harriet Symphony for the Cities scheduled for Monday evening, also citing the strike.þþMajor points of contention between the union and negotiators from the board include the size of wage raises and hazard protections. Union leaders also take issue with parts of the contract they say could increase bias against workers and limit union representation.þþThe park board says its offer will cost $4.6 million over three years. The board says the union's latest proposal would cost at least $2 million more.
Source: mprnews.org
