Minneapolis park workers on Thursday “overwhelmingly” approved a new labor contract, according to union leaders, that will invest an additional $2 million in the Park and Recreation Board’s workforce over the next three years.
The contract ratification marks the end of the park system’s three-week strike, the first in its 141-year history. The Park Board is expected to approve the contract at its Aug. 7 meeting.
“Our members’ sacrifices and solidarity yielded more than improved wages and benefits,” said AJ Lang, business manager for Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 363, in a statement. “We reaffirmed that Minneapolis is a union town. This victory extends beyond our union, demonstrating the power of working people when they stand united.”
The union did not release the vote figures.
Park workers returned to their jobs Monday after reaching a tentative agreement July 26. Officials said the agreement would have a significant impact on workers’ lives.
The new contract includes wage increases of 10.25% for cost-of-living adjustments and a $1.75 hourly market adjustment, which workers believe will allow the Park Board to better compete with neighboring municipal park systems.
Workers also maintained automatic step increases for wages, existing steward rights and other benefits and working condition standards.
Union officials had repeatedly criticized Park Board officials for allowing wages to fall behind inflation and the pay of counterparts in neighboring cities. The Minneapolis park system, which is frequently ranked as one of the nation’s best, has been tested in recent years by homelessness, substance abuse in parks and civil unrest.
