City Of Duluth’s Largest Employee Union Authorizes Strike Mid-January If Needed

DULUTH, Minn. – The city of Duluth’s largest employee union, AFSCME Local 66, voted Tuesday to authorize a strike, demanded “fair wages and dignity” and called on Mayor Roger Reinert to fix it.

AFSCME called the city’s next contract offer “insulting, inadequate and unacceptable,” according to a news release.

The union said the police and fire departments got 8% market adjustment to their wages without any concessions in their last contracts.  But for AFSCME, union officials said the city proposed a 1% market adjustment in the first year and 6% over three years, while demanding concessions.

“Essential workers across all departments, including water plant operators and snowplow drivers, continue to face crushing workloads due to unfilled vacancies and non-competitive wages. This is unsustainable.  We need the full market adjustment, and we need it now,” AFSCME said in their prepared statement.

More than 400 Duluth city employees are members of AFSCME.  They could walk off the job by mid-January after a 10-day cooling off period.

Meanwhile, Mayor Reinert’s spokesperson released a statement late Tuesday that disputed the union’s claims.

“The City has offered additional compensation increases which range from 13.5% for all unit members to up to 21.5% for eligible unit members over the course of the three-year contract,” according to a news release.

The mayor’s spokesperson said the city has not walked away from mediation as AFSCME claims, and that the administration is in the process of scheduling its next mediation session with the State Bureau of Mediation Services.

The last time AFSCME Local 66 voted to strike was under the Herb Bergson administration in 2007.  A strike was avoided at the 11th hour.

AFSCME will be holding a press conference on the strike vote at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Duluth Labor Temple.

Below are the full press releases from the union and the city:

City of Duluth:

• The City of Duluth did not walk away from mediation. The City and AFSCME participated in almost 14 hours of mediation with the State Bureau of Mediation Services on November 26 until close to midnight. The City and the Union were both released from mediation by the Bureau following the City’s submission of a Settlement Proposal.
• The City is currently in the process of scheduling its next mediation session with the State Bureau of Mediation Services. We look forward to continuing this process with the Union.
• The City has offered additional compensation increases which range from 13.5% for all unit members to up to 21.5% for eligible unit members over the course of the three-year contract.

AFSCME Local 66:

AFSCME Local 66 workers with the City of Duluth are taking a stand for a fair and equitable labor contract.  On November 26th the City walked away from contract mediation leaving a settlement offer that is unacceptable to the workers who provide Duluth’s core city services. AFSCME Local 66, City of Duluth union members voted overwhelmingly on December 10th to reject the City’s settlement offer and authorize a strike.

* TOMORROW (12/11/24): A PRESS CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD TO SHARE HIGHLIGHTS

When: Wednesday, December 11, 2024 at 11 AM

Where: Wellstone Hall. Duluth Labor Temple. 2002 London Rd. Duluth, MN 55812

Who: Wendy Wohlwend (AFSCME Local 66 President, City of Duluth Bargaining Unit Chair) and Shawn Eastman (AFSCME Duluth Bargaining Team Chair)

“We need a labor contract that is fair and equitable with dignity and respect for all workers – the City’s offer is insulting, inadequate, and unacceptable” said Wendy Wohlwend, President of AFSCME Local 66.  “Our members are working short staffed and being called on to work longer and harder every day. The City is unable to fill critical vacancies due to low wages. Two years ago, police received an 8% market adjustment to their wages without any concessions. Fire received the same one year ago.  And recently some supervisors received a substantial market adjustment.  Yet, for our workers, the City proposed only 1% in the first year and just 6% over three years while also demanding major concessions.”

One week after last year’s election, Mayor-elect Roger Reinert promised our workers that he would fight to implement competitive wages based on market analysis.   Despite this promise and data showing an 8-12% market adjustment is needed now, the City has failed to deliver.  Essential workers across all departments, including water plant operators and snowplow drivers, continue to face crushing workloads due to unfilled vacancies and non-competitive wages. This is unsustainable.  We need the full market adjustment, and we need it now.

Privatization of public services has further strained the budget, costing more than paying fair wages for our union members.  Meanwhile, the City’s proposed changes to work schedules and mandatory overtime strip workers of their dignity, demanding availability at all hours without adequate notice.  Rather than pay competitive wages the City simply wants to work our members longer and harder – leading to further burnout and retention issues.

If an agreement is not reached, workers could go on strike as early as mid-January following a ten-day cooling off period.

“Our union members are prepared to do whatever it takes to secure dignity and fairness for the workers who provide core city services,” said AFSCME Council 5 Executive Director Bart Andersen.  “This fight is about more than competitive wages – it’s about respect for the workers who provide core city services day in and day out.  It’s about the dignity that comes with a union job and a pro-union community that has each other’s back every single day.  Duluth workers have the full support and solidarity of our 43,000 members and our labor and community allies across Duluth, the region, and our state.”

Our union is calling on Mayor Reinert to keep his word to our workers and for the City to return to negotiations and reach a fair and equitable contract agreement.  If not, we are prepared to strike.