Hennepin County employees represented by AFSCME Council 14 will rally Thursday, Nov. 8, from noon to 1 p.m. at the North Plaza of the Hennepin County Government Center, 300 S. 6^th Street, Minneapolis.

About 5,000 Hennepin County workers in nine AFSCME local unions have been negotiating a new contract since July 26. They maintain the 2.5 percent the county is budgeting for 2002 is not enough to provide many employees with a living wage and that employees with family health care insurance are paying too much. Negotiators for AFSCME and the county entered mediation on Nov. 5.