Minneapolis, MN — Today, Minneapolis Public Works employees represented by LIUNA Local 363 delivered a successful vote to accept a new labor contract with the employer. Among the key features of the ratified contract is a historic nearly thirty percent wage increase over the next three years. AJ Lange, Business Manager of LIUNA Local 363 released the following statement.
“This historic contract was achieved through the tireless efforts and countless hours of hard work by the bargaining team, our strike committee, and every single member who volunteered their time to fight for a better future for all of us. I'm continuously impressed by the hard work and dedication of our members, and I'm truly honored to represent them.”
LIUNA Local 363 won the biggest wage increase for the local ever, and the union secured important health and safety protections for members, seniority rights, limits on temp workers, holiday pay for dual certifications, greater union rights and protections, and established a means of addressing staffing and scheduling problems. Local 363 also staved off attacks on promotional and detailed pay guarantees, task assignments, and other attempts by the City to undermine workers’ contractual rights and benefits.
While the new contract marks a historic achievement for LIUNA 363 workers at the City of Minneapolis, the union’s work is not finished. Lange says, “This victory shows that when we are united in solidarity with our union brothers and sisters, we have the power to win. When we stand together, we can't be ignored. When we fight, we win.”
Laborers will continue to fight for more equitable and affordable health care, to achieve fair treatment on the job, to implement unbiased and reasonable drug testing procedures, and to solve long-term staffing and scheduling issues.