State contract talks in ‘home stretch’

Participants in Wednesday\’s picnic said they\’re tired of wage freezes and rising health care costs and want to see real improvement in their next two-year contract.

More than a thousand state employees held a picnic on the Capitol grounds as contract talks heated up. Photo courtesy of AFSCME

AFSCME, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, represents some 19,000 state workers, including clericals, snowplow drivers, corrections workers and many others. MAPE, the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, represents 11,000 professional state government employees, including inspectors, computer programmers and many others.

In a statement posted Thursday on its website, MAPE said negotiators had made "slight" progress on wages, "but the governor\’s team still refused to budge from massive health-care increases it is proposing."

AFSCME and MAPE said Gov. Tim Pawlenty\’s proposed health care increases would mean "up to $1,300 in additional out-of-pocket drug and medical costs for family coverage."

MAPE said the governor\’s latest wage proposal to its members was 1.75 percent for each year.

AFSCME said a salary supplement passed by the Minnesota Legislature in the 2007 session will help, but may not be enough.

"Union members tell us that they need a raise and affordable health care," AFSCME said in a report on its website. "Our negotiating team continues to look at ways to deliver both given the limitations of the $203 million we got from the salary supplement.To succeed, we need your help. We must convince the boss to find additional money for a fair raise."

Updates on the negotiations can be found on the unions\’ websites, www.afscmemn.org  and www.mape.org