More than 1,400 University of Minnesota service workers stayed on the job Wednesday, instead of beginning a planned strike, as negotiations continue over wages and other contract terms.
The university and Teamsters Local 320, which represents maintenance, food service and janitorial staff, have been in mediation since last week over wages and other contract terms.
In a statement Tuesday evening, the U said it presented its “last, best and final” offer. According to a U spokesman, that is a 1½-year contract that includes a $1,000 lump-sum payment, a 3% wage increase in the first year and at least 2% in the second year, along with market adjustments for certain positions and higher shift differentials.
A representative for the Teamsters said Tuesday that union members needed to weigh the U’s offer.
Earlier in negotiations, the union had sought a 9% pay increase in each of the next two years, while the university had offered 2.5% in the first year and increases tied to Board of Regents decisions in subsequent years.
Union leaders say a strike would be their first at the U since the 1970s and could disrupt residence hall move-in and dining operations.
University officials said they aimed to balance “our obligation to be fiscally responsible stewards of public dollars, while offering some level of certainty to Teamsters-represented employees.”
The workers’ previous contract expired June 30 but remains in effect until a new deal is reached.
