As the city scrambles to clear branches and downed trees following the weekend's storms, progress has been slowed by the Minneapolis park workers' strike .
The workers' union, LIUNA Local 363, tells Bring Me The News that 85% of the park arborists, not including foremen, are part of the strike, delaying cleanup as dozens of trees have fallen in parks and blocked roads around the city.
"We don’t have clear oversight over the storm cleanup, but based on what arborists on strike tell us, the cleanup should have been mostly done by now," said LIUNA spokesperson Liz Xiong.
"There are MPRB forestry crews working in conjunction with Xcel Energy and Minneapolis Public Works’ crews to address downed trees that are blocking streets, have fallen on homes, etc.," Dawn Sommers, Director of Communications and Marketing for MPRB tells Bring Me The News. "Trees that are down in parks are always among the last to be removed, unless they are a threat to public safety."
The MPRB says that when a storm takes place over the weekend, it's typical for cleanup to last "more than a week," even when they're fully staffed. Though, Sommers acknowledges that "overall cleanup for this storm may be slower due to the strike."
As of 8 a.m. on Tuesday, the MPRB had received 307 tree-related calls, with 139 of the service requests already completed.
On July 15, the union and Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) resumed negotiations on a new contract for the first time since July 1, three days before workers began their strike on July 4 . Negotiations are scheduled to continue on Tuesday, the union said on Twitter.
MPRB says the union's latest counteroffer carries a cost of $7.5 million over three years, while the board's "last, best, and final" offer totaled $4.6 million over the same period.
The MPRB says the union's latest proposal also adds $800,000 in costs over its previous offer, and constitutes "a rejection of the entire proposal" the board offered.
"Local 363’s counteroffer has moved the wages and compensation portion further apart," Robin Smothers, a spokesperson for the MPRB, says. "Significant differences in contract language also remain."
The MPRB's offer included a 10.25% wage increase over three years with two market adjustments for 13 positions. The union says wages have not kept pace with inflation and sit lower than similar positions at other regional parks. It also previously contended that the board has not addressed safety concerns for employees.
"We look forward to presenting our counteroffer and constructive dialogue at the bargaining table to swiftly resolve this strike," A.J. Lange, the union's business manager, said on Friday.
"This is a step in the right direction. Our commitment remains firm: to secure a fair contract that truly values our members' dedication to Minneapolis' best-in-the-nation parks and get back to serving our community."
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