State employees feel unappreciated and are tired of lawmakers and administrators playing games with their jobs and their union contract.

That was the message from workers who gathered June 13 for a Solidarity picnic on the state Capitol grounds. In between dodging raindrops, the workers ate lunch, listened to speakers and discussed their frustrations with the process.

Many are concerned about a possible state government shutdown. And all said they are worried they will not get a fair contract settlement in the negotiations that have dragged on for several weeks and now appear to be stalemated because of the budget impasse at the Legislature.

"We are here to show solidarity with one another," said Cindy Conners, a member of AFSCME Local 3998, which represents employees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. The AFSCME locals organized the picnic as a way to bring people together, she and others said.

Bob Rickert expressed the sentiments of many state workers by wearing a bright green t-shirt that read, "Will Strike If Provoked."

"This is about showing solidarity to our contract," said Rickert, who works at the Minnesota Department of Transportation and is a member of AFSCME Local 1011. "We're ready to go out."

Rickert, a veteran of the 1981 strike by state employees, said he and his colleagues made many sacrifices during the state's tough financial times and now deserve a fair share of the good times.

Contracts for about 20,000 state employees expire June 30. "It's time to settle down and get business done," he said.

For more information

Visit the AFSCME Council 6 website: http://www.afscmecouncil6.org