Although they’ve been battered by rain, bitter winds and cold temperatures over the last week on the winter picket line, the workers say they are resolute and will keep fighting until they win the contract they deserve.

Laurie Pottoff is a worker in the kitchen of Hastings High School. Pottoff said, “I am still pumped! We deserve more than the crumbs the district is offering. I am not ready to give up.”

On Friday, February 17, the afternoon picket lines swelled with Steelworkers from the nearby Flint Hill Refinery; Minneapolis Educators; University of Minnesota AFSCME members, supportive community allies, and many more. A local congresswoman spoke at their afternoon press conference to express her support. The district has still refused to come to the bargaining table. Workers remain committed to winning their demands of meaningful raises, access to quality health coverage and stability in hours.

Monday is President’s Day and picket lines will resume Tuesday morning and will continue until the district comes back to the table to negotiate a fair settlement.

#HastingsMN #PeoplesStruggles #SEIU #SEIULocal284 #Strikes

Hastings MN – Energy was high on the fourth day, February 10, of the Hastings Public Schools food service worker strike. SEIU Local 284 members remain strong as management refuses to bargain. Striking workers, fellow unionists and community allies converged at Kennedy Elementary School for an end of the day unity picket and rally. Including the 35 striking workers, the picket line swelled with the support of dozens of family members, building staff and educators, as well as rank-and-file unionists from the area including letter carriers, University of Minnesota workers, Teamsters, other SEIU locals and community members.

When asked for comment by local news stations, the school district only said the union could take the deal or leave it. The superintendent of Hastings Public Schools is Bob McDowell. Signs on the picket line said that McDowell gave himself a $35,000 raise but is only offering a 35-cent raise to the workers.

Hasting’s school food service workers worked during the height of the COVID pandemic, and they want to continue to provide students with hot and nutritious meals. The school district is refusing to negotiate, leaving the workers no choice but to strike. Instead of receiving the hot foods that the food service workers normally provide, they kids being fed by unskilled administrators and others to try to bust the strike. The result has been cold and unappealing food, including some reports of kids being given still partially frozen and possibly unsafe food by the strike breakers.

Cars driving by the picket line were cheering or honking in support and one parent could be heard saying “I support y’all, I hope this gets figured out!”

The strike will continue until a resolution is reached, with picket lines starting up again on Monday February 13, at 9 a.m. at Hastings Middle School. No further bargaining is currently scheduled.

#HastingsMN #strike

Hastings Minnesota – On an unseasonably warm February day, food service workers at Hastings Public Schools, members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 284, walked off the job beginning an open ended strike, February 7.

This came after eight months of bargaining with their employer.

The food service workers are demanding affordable health insurance, fair hours and scheduling, and equitable raises for all workers. Despite working through the worst of the pandemic to provide healthy food for Hastings Public School students, the district has refused to budge at the bargaining table. The district administrators have taken home significant raises recently, but the union says that they have refused to bargain in good faith with the workers who make the school district run.

The first day on the picket line was spirited. Dozens of neighbors, fellow union members, parents and community members stopped by the line to picket with the workers, drop off hot food or water, and offer words of encouragement.

As the school day came to a close, Holly Bohlken, a 22-year food service worker at Hastings High School spoke to reporters and the crowd gathered at the picket line. Bohlken said “We’ve been supporting our children and feeding them hot meals. Come to find out we’re only offered 34 cents an hour raise, after working long hours to feed the children. And that isn’t okay.”

The picket lines will continue from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays in front of various district sites. Follow Fight Back! for more coverage.

#HastingsMN #SEIU