Duluth’s Largest Employee Union Reaches Tentative Deal With City

DULUTH, Minn. — The city of Duluth’s largest employee union, AFSCME Local 66, reached a tentative agreement Monday night with the city of Duluth that includes “no major concessions,” according to the union.

The union announced the news to its nearly 500 members at 9 p.m. after 12 hours of “long, hard negotiations.”

The tentative agreement came after historic tensions between the union and Mayor Roger Reinert’s administration.  The union at one point demanded what they called “fair wages and dignity.”

“This tentative agreement represents a very hard-fought victory for our members who work tirelessly every day to provide core city services to the residents of Duluth,” said Wendy Wohlwend, President of AFSCME Local 66 and City of Duluth Bargaining Unit Chair. “While we are excited to have reached this TA for our workers that will improve their lives, it should not have taken months of incredibly difficult negotiations and mediation with the City—or the need for our union members to overwhelmingly reject the city’s last offer and authorize a strike—to secure a fair contract from city leadership that has proclaimed itself to be pro-union.”

Meanwhile, Mayor Reinert’s administrations released the following statement on the tentative agreement:

“This agreement reflects the City’s priority and focus on core city services, market adjustments that reflect realities of the post-pandemic labor market, and also better positions the City for hiring and retaining the very best skills and talent.

This bargaining process began in July. Today’s mediation lasted over 12 hours, but resulted in a mutual agreement that avoids any interruption of City services.”

FOX 21 was provided the following details from AFSCME about the tentative agreement:

• The highlights are as follows for a three-year contract:

• 9 1/2 % Market Adjustment over the life of the contract 2.5 %, 3%

• 2.5% for across the board wage increases

• An additional step F

• Longevity at 24 years

• No wedge language was introduced (NO Mandatory overtime language or the 2 day calendar schedule change) Y

• Year-round parking and an increase of the number of passes improvement in vacation accrual

• Increase in uniform and tool allowance increases

• There will be a full membership vote on January 14th.