Chanting "Fair contract - now!" about 600 Hennepin County employees represented by AFSCME Council 14 rallied outside the government center Thursday. At the noontime event, workers expressed their frustration with the slow pace of contract talks and what they said is lack of responsiveness by the county to their concerns.

"We're not here out of greed, we're here out of need," AFSCME Council 14 President Cliff Poehler told the crowd. He cited the circumstances of Hennepin County welfare case workers, who are instructed to find their clients jobs that pay at least $15 an hour.

"Unfortunately our brothers and sisters who do this work don't make $15 an hour," Poehler said. "Do you see the contradiction inherent in this?"

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.

Workers covered by the agreements, which expire Dec. 31, include employees at the Hennepin County Medical Center, child protection workers, librarians, secretaries, clerks and many people employed in the criminal justice system.

Council 14 Executive Director Roger Siegal estimates that at least one-third of the workers earn less than $15 an hour and many earn less than $10 an hour. Under the county's current wage offer, "our members' (wage) increases are eaten up by health care premium increases."

Representatives of the AFL-CIO and the Teamsters also attended the rally to show support. Minnesota AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Steve Hunter said the 400,000 members of AFL-CIO-affiliated unions in Minnesota back the Hennepin County workers.

"These negotiations have gone on long enough," he said. "We call on the county commissioners to give you a fair contract."