Teamsters at U of MN win their demands, ending strike in victory!
Minneapolis, MN – After five days on strike at the University of Minnesota, late on the night of Friday, September 12, Teamsters at the U of MN announced that they had a new offer from the university which met all of their major demands. As a result, they ended their strike in the early hours of Saturday morning.
According to an advisory from Teamsters Local 320, which represents the university workers, the new contract offer includes a 3.5% raise in the first year, another 3.5% raise in the second year, and 3% in the third, for 10% over three years. The university’s “last best and final” offer had included only one set raise of 2% over the life of the contract.
Additionally, a major issue for the Teamsters was an expiration date for the contract, which lands in summer, whereas the U was stuck on only settling with an expiration in December. This matters because it affects timing of future contract fights and timing of actions or strikes in the future.
This settlement is a huge win for the Teamsters at the university, and a major blow for university management.
Throughout the strike, the Teamsters’ picket lines only grew stronger, and the community only showed up more and more in support of the strike. In addition to winning widespread public support, they also made it impossible for the university to run effectively.
The Teamsters do facilities, dining work and more at the university and it was clear from overflowing garbage cans seen all over campus that things were not running smoothly. There were reports on picket lines and from students as well as other unions that the university was desperately trying to get anyone they could find to work as scabs during the strike, including asking students to work in their own dining halls to keep themselves fed.
The university also attempted to intimidate strikers by ordering police to attack picket lines.
Late in the strike, musicians Willy Nelson, Margo Price, Neil Young and other headliners – who were supposed to perform at the 40th Annual Farm Aid concert being held on September 20 at the university’s stadium – wrote a public letter informing the university and public that they would not cross the picket line and perform if the strike was still ongoing. This resulted in the Farm Aid organization stating that they would cancel or move the show if that happened. This resulted in increased pressure on the University to settle.
The support that Teamsters won from the performers and Farm Aid only demonstrates further the level of public support the Teamsters were able to garner with their energetic and militant strike, and the impact of stopping trucks coming in to set up for the concert.
Because the strike was strong and visible, and because the rank-and-file workers won both the battle for the public narrative, and the battle to damage the university’s ability to function, the university quickly had no choice but to cave on only the fifth day of the strike and meet the Teamsters’ demands.
This is a major victory for the Teamsters at the University of Minnesota.