Minneapolis MN – A looming strike was averted when AFSCME Local 2822 came to a mediated settlement with Hennepin County, January 27. The agreement comes one day after Local 34 also reached a tentative deal. Workers represented by these two locals will begin voting on the contract February 2, the first day workers were poised to walk out. The bargaining committees of both locals are unanimously recommending a yes vote on the new contract offer.

This comes after a mediation session on January 18, where Hennepin County made a worse offer than members previously rejected in December. After that mediation session, Locals 34 and 2822 held informational pickets at 20 worksites and issued strike notices to the county. In the days that followed, the locals organized those picket leaders into strike captains, building strike capacity openly and at a fevered pace.

This strike would have forced the county to deploy scabs and workers in non-striking units to the most critical departments, resulting in the closure of many public buildings to maintain a patchwork of operations. To demoralize workers, Hennepin County Administrator David Hough sent emails to all staff containing anti-union agitation and outright lies. Among these lies was the intimation that striking workers would lose their health insurance immediately.

“You don’t make that many threats to your workers unless you’re scared of them,” says AFSCME Local 2822 Chief Steward Shane Clune. “Our members were outraged and ready to walk. We were openly and proudly talking about striking. Hough thought he could deceive and threaten our workers into giving up their sacred right to strike. And because our members stood up and fought, he saw that he had to finally offer us something.”

After the locals’ strike preparation, efforts came a new offer, where Hennepin County agreed to forgive “negative leave balances” taken by workers during the pandemic. This negative leave balance program, implemented by the county in early 2020, meant workers suffering from COVID-19 had to go into sick leave debt to the county if they had exhausted their paid leave due to COVID-19.

While the agreement didn’t meet all the union’s demands, the employer came to the table with a significantly better offer, which the negotiating committees decided to accept.

Ali Fuhrman, president AFSCME Local 2822 said, “Despite absolutely refusing to offer us anything in mediation last week, the employer came back this week with a better deal that, if approved by membership, will eliminate the morally reprehensible ‘paid leave debt’ that workers were forced to use to weather the pandemic. Workers sick with COVID, parents caring for children during school closures and workers temporarily furloughed took this debt on to survive. We want to be clear: this was put on the table for us because 34 and 2822 rejected the contract and threatened a strike.”

The deal also includes a 2.5% cost of living increase each year for three years, an additional 3% performance raise for workers who aren’t at the top of their job class’s pay range, increases to top pay for most workers, a $500 pandemic bonus, increased flexibility for funeral leave, increased paid parental leave from three to six weeks, and increased bus subsidies for workers.

#MinneapolisMN #PeoplesStruggles #AFSCME #HennepinCountyAFSCME

Minneapolis, MN – At the Hennepin County Commissioner meeting, February 2, the vote passed unanimously to enact a Board Action Request (BAR) that will allow extension of COVID Child Care Leave for an additional 160 hours. Although it does not extend at full pay as the union requested, the passage of this BAR represents a major step forward for parents and caregivers who work for Hennepin County. The union members in AFSCME locals representing Hennepin County workers had been campaigning actively for full pay.

Ronisha Buckner, who is a mother of one, works as human services representative and is sergeant of arms with AFSCME Local 34 said, “After a month-long campaign including meetings, letters, emails and call-ins to county commissioners and Administrator David Hough, two press conferences; a car caravan and testimony by multiple AFSCME mothers at meetings and before the board of commissioners, members of Hennepin County AFSCME have been successful in pressing Hennepin County to do the right thing. We are pleased that Hennepin County heard the voices of our workers and took action on the concerns we brought forward by passing this BAR today.”

Latonya Reeves, president of AFSCME Local 552 stated, “Hennepin County employees, specifically our mothers and fathers who work so diligently to keep the county running have won today! Thank you for sharing your stories and being brave enough to speak your truth.”

Irish Gauna, a mother of five and a member of AFSCME 2822 said, “Our children will be better educated at home because the caregivers will be less stressed, and financially more stable. Not 100% but it still helps a good deal. Thank you for allowing me to nurture my family and not worry about homelessness. All of our hard work serving the communities and speaking up about our rights has brought about this change.”

The AFSCME locals that represent workers in Hennepin County have been campaigning around issues that affect their members and the community since the pandemic began. Some of these campaigns included calling for libraries and other Hennepin County services to operate in ways that are safe for the workers and also for the public. One specific example was the campaign to stop curbside book pick up services that were endangering workers. They have also campaigned to keep workers receiving full pay while working from home, and to fight back against threats of layoffs. The passage of this BAR extending COVID childcare pay is a major win for the unions that comes on top of nearly a year of holding Hennepin County accountable through collective action by AFSCME members in Hennepin County.

#MinneapolisMN #PeoplesStruggles #HennepinCountyAFSCME