U clerical workers hit picket lines

[Brucey]

http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/4165222.html

U clerical workers hit picket lines

Clerical workers at the University of Minnesota began walking picket lines at 6:30 a.m., a union official said.

The workers, members of Local 3800 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) went on strike at the university's Twin Cities campus as well as campuses in Morris, Crookston and Duluth. They also plan to picket the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chanhassen and 15 other sites around the state, said Jo Pels, strike coordinator.

Talks aimed at averting a strike broke off at about 7:15 p.m. Monday after mediators worked with both sides all day and part of Sunday, without success. The two sides were unable to resolve differences over wages, health care and job security.

University President Robert Bruininks said the university offered the best contract it could under the circumstances. He said the university had suffered a 15 percent cut in state support - about $185 million over two years - and had asked all employees to sacrifice.



Minnesota has a "no taxes" repug governor and the pressure has been on state workers to take pay freezes and increased health care costs. Another union recently settled for such a deal rather than go on strike and governor Pawlenty bragged about getting the settlement (bragging about lowering the standard of living for lowest paid workers is what repugs specialize in!). The public in Minnesota has been terrible about supporting state workers in recent years (a strike during Jesse Ventura's term was a failure), but we now have a chance to see if that is turning around. Glad to see this union had the guts to say no to the University and the state. Hope they succeed in getting some improvements. In Minnesota lately, all the state's money goes to the rich suburbs.

[Voltaire99]

1. Go, Phyllis!

One of the best damn union local leaders in the country.

Minnesotans on the left will remember her firey, brilliant speech at the state capital during our huge peace march following the Wellstone tragedy.

Good luck to the workers!

[myrna minx]

2. Good luck to our friend

study war no more, who will be out on strike. Good luck to you all.
:toast:

[revcarol]

3. GO AFSCME.

Not enough money?: cut the public sector and especially the lower paid employees. After all, they don't do REAL work!!<sick sarcasm>

[Abaques]

4. As a union employee at the U of M (afscme3937)....

I fully support my colleagues in AFSCME 3800.

The U of M did not do all it could to make things fair for all workers. Both my union and the Teamsters settled and it will cost us. But I understand why people voted for the settlement: this strike will likely cost some people their jobs.

After being in private industry for awhile and dealing with constantly changing and inadequette health care and then coming to the University and watching my department and other scrimping as best we can while we are understaffed just to make the budget work I have come to know two things:

1. We need to completely revamp the health care system in this nation. Everyone needs to be able to get health-care on demand without worrying about going into debt because of long-term illness or a freak accident.


2. Taxes have been cut too much. The whole problem at the U is that the past two governors hate higher education and have not properly funded the U. With budget crisis' looming the only answer is to restore taxes to the wealthy who have seen the most gain upon the backs of those who can ill afford it.



I wish the strikers well, but I fear they will be forced to compromise some of their goals.

[L.A.dweller]

5. Due to the rising costs of health care

employers are cutting health care coverage for their employees at several corporations. There are strikes that are occuring here in SoCal as well.
Oh, the Bush economy is so great. He forces the tax payer to pay for the reconstruction of another country but this one is in shambles.