Striking park workers call on Mayor Frey to intervene after negotiations hit wall

Negotiations hit a wall between striking park workers and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board on Tuesday.

"[The MPRB] walked out on our negotiations," LIUNA ;ocal 363 business manager A.J. Lange claimed in a press conference on Tuesday night. In response, the union has called on Mayor Jacob Frey to intervene.

This week, the two sides resumed negotiations for the first time since July 1, with LIUNA local 363 presenting a counteroffer on Monday and the MPRB submitting three "substantial counteroffers" on Tuesday.

During the 18 hours of negotiations, the union says it agreed to the MPRB wage offer, but asked the board to drop "their demands for concessions, severe limits on union representation, taking away 80% of our stewards, removing opportunities for advancement and professional credentials in our contract. They want to double the length of probation [and] make our regular wage increases discretionary."

The MPRB contends that it has made "significant concessions in both wages and contract language" and that union leadership "refused to agree to contract language proposals which would provide needed workplace changes to make the park operations more efficient and productive." They have asked that the union put the proposal to its members for a vote.

Lange responded that he was skeptical that having the union vote down the current proposal would convince the park board to materially change its stance on the union's demands.

"Looking to the mayor at this point," a visibly frustrated Lange said Tuesday night. "I'm calling on the mayor to help us because the park board seems incapable of addressing these issues. These are your parks, Mayor Frey, this is your city. This is your responsibility to intervene, bring the parties together. We're asking you to ask them to drop their severe attacks on workers and takeaways so that we can get back to work."

Mayor Frey, who is not involved in negotiations, responded on Tuesday. “My ask is simple: through good-faith bargaining at the negotiating table, let’s get an agreement done for the sake of our amazing parks, the incredible workers who take care of them, and the people who use and love them,” he said in a statement provided to Bring Me the News. “I know MPRB and employees are united around a goal of keeping our park system world-class, and I will support them in achieving a resolution that keeps that goal front and center.”

UPDATE (7/17)

The MPRB issued a response on Wednesday afternoon, rejecting the notion that Mayor Frey has a place in negotiations and refuting some union claims.

"Minnesota state law very clearly sets up a process on how contracts with public employers and employees are reached," Meg Forney, President of the MPRB, said in a statement. "That process does not have a role, in this case, for the Mayor to act as a convenor."

Forney says a $1.4 million wage gap remains between MPRB and union proposals. "Contrary to Local 363 leadership’s claim, there is no agreement on the wage package, specifically the timing of the market adjustment," Forney continued. "The best path forward is to let established bargaining practices continue. The MPRB will return to the bargaining table when directed by the [Bureau of Mediation Services]."