Farm Aid concert might move or cancel if University of Minnesota strike isn’t resolved ‘immediately’

The ongoing Teamsters strike at the University of Minnesota might cause organizers of next weekend’s Farm Aid 40 concert to relocate or cancel the event altogether.

“Our artists, production team and partners have made clear that they will not cross a picket line,” Farm Aid said in a statement Thursday. “These decisions reflect our own values: The farm and labor movements are inseparable, and we believe strongly that the University must return to the bargaining table in good faith.”

Farm Aid leaders need an answer on the University’s return to negotiations “immediately,” co-executive director Jennifer Fahy said. Crews are set to begin building the stage Friday.

“The clock is ticking,” Fahy said.

The University said in a statement Thursday it has been “engaged in conversation with Farm Aid for months and especially throughout this week. The decision about whether the event moves forward is theirs. It is not a University of Minnesota decision.”

“The University is and will remain highly supportive of farmers,” the statement continued. “The University of Minnesota has gone above and beyond to partner with the organizers of Farm Aid to create an exceptional experience for attendees and artists.”

The university also said it “remains at the negotiating table and is waiting for Teamsters Local 320 to join,” adding the institution is in “regular contact with the Bureau of Mediation Services and committed to reaching a fair and equitable agreement. ”

“The thing that we want the most is for this show to happen,” Ammons said. “The conditions in order for it to happen is for the University to come back to the bargaining table in support of the workers’ rights.”

Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, Margo Price and other big names are on the ticket to perform Sept. 20 at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The daylong concert will likely draw tens of thousands of fans.

Teamsters Local 320 — representing 1,400 custodial, maintenance, food service and sanitation workers at U campuses around the state — started striking Monday. The union recently voted down the university’s final offer, which the school called “fair and equitable, reflecting its continued commitment to all employees throughout the University and its obligation to be fiscally responsible.”

The current contract expired June 30 but is under an extension until the parties settle on a new one. There is no date set for negotiations to restart.

Teamsters leaders said the university isn’t budging on key sticking points: wages and the length of the contract. The strike could continue into the weekend.

“For nearly 40 years, Farm Aid has stood shoulder to shoulder with family farmers and working people, and today they carry that tradition forward,” the statement continued.

Should the event change venues, Target Center could be an option as it doesn’t have events on Sept. 20, although organizers say they haven’t held Farm Aid indoors before. Nor does Somerset Amphitheater in Wisconsin, a smaller venue which has played host to Willie Nelson in the past. The venues did not immediately return calls or emails seeking comment.

Other college stadiums in the region could be options: Iowa State University and the University of Iowa don’t have home football games on Sept. 20 if the event migrates across the border.

Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen said Farm Aid is more than just a one-day concert; it includes farm tours and forums in the days leading up to the Saturday show.

“Just in the last week, I’ve heard a lot of renewed interest from farmers, row croppers, especially, who say they’re going to Farm Aid or want tickets,” Petersen said. “When times are tough, they want to be somewhere where their voices are heard.

Should organizers cancel the show, ticketholders would receive refunds, which could derail Farm Aid entirely.