University Unions United, a coalition of University of Minnesota AFSCME unions and Teamsters Local 320, held a joint contract negotiations kick-off event Wednesday at Coffman Memorial Union.

Together, the unions represent 4,500 workers at the Twin Cities, Duluth, Morris, and Crookston campuses. Representatives from the negotiations teams updated members on the opening proposals of the unions and management.

Union members at the University of Minnesota signed postcards that will be delivered to University President Robert Bruininks, outlining the economic hardships they are facing. Photo by Jennifer Lovaasen

"We have organized this kick-off to send a message to the university administration that we are standing strong and unified as workers across the university," said Phyllis Walker, president of AFSCME Local 1800, which represents university clerical workers. "We demand a living wage and affordable health care and we demand to be treated with respect. We won't back down."

?When we negotiated our last contract, the university administration asked the workers to 'share the pain' of budget cuts," said Candace Lund, president of AFSCME Local 3937, which represents technical workers. "That pain fell disproportionately on the lowest paid workers. We intend to reverse that with this contract."

In the last contract, Bargaining Unit employees' hourly wages were frozen for a year, and small pay increases in 2004 did not mitigate the rising cost of health care as workers pay an increasingly larger share of insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs. The last round of bargaining also included a month-long strike by members of the clerical union.

In January, University Unions United surveyed members to determine the impact of the salary freeze and health care increases. The booklet, Voices in the Workplace shares workers' responses to the survey and tells the stories of the economic reality for many workers at the university. Among the survey responses:
? "I split medication I have to take in half to save money." ? "I go without food sometimes if I run out of money before payday." ? "I could no longer afford the medication that my golden retriever needed, and had her put down." ? "My oldest brother died this summer and I could not afford to go out of state to his funeral."

Rhonda Jennen, vice president of AFSCME 3260 said, "In a country as rich as ours, if a person works 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, they shouldn't have to live in poverty. But that's what the university administration is forcing its workers to do." Local 3260 represents health care workers at the university.

For more information
Check out the University Unions United website, www.uofmunionsunited.org