“We Cannot Water Down Our Proposals Any More”: UMN Teamsters Go on Strike

Update: September 12, 5p.m.:

After hundreds of union and community members rallied and marched on the University of Minnesota campus on the evening of September 12, Teamsters Local 320 announced that they reached a tentative agreement (TA) with the University around midnight and declared an end to the strike that began earlier in the week. The TA has yet to be voted on and ratified by union members.

“This is a fight that has been growing, month after month, year after year,” said union president Erik Skoog at the rally before the TA was reached. “We’re gonna stay out here until hell freezes over to get the contract that each and every one of you deserve.”

Early Saturday, the University released a joint statement with the union:

“In the spirit of cooperation, Teamsters Local 320 and the University of Minnesota have put their differences aside and come to a resolution in order to support the greater good of our University students, faculty and staff, farmers and Minnesota residents.

The Farm Labor Movement originated in Minnesota and the Dakotas with a proud history that is recognized to this very day. The University of Minnesota began as an agricultural school and remains a vital part of Minnesota agriculture.

Both parties look forward to returning to working to support our vital teaching, research, and outreach mission.”

From the 1920s to the 1940s, the grassroots Farmer-Labor movement, which was led by unions and farmers, united rural and urban communities on issues of economic and social justice. The movement created and led the Farmer-Labor political party before it merged with the Democrats in 1944 to create the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) party.

On Saturday, Farm Aid released a statement: “We are thrilled to confirm that Farm Aid 40 will go forward in Minneapolis as planned. For four decades, Farm Aid has stood with farmers and workers. Today’s agreement is a reminder of what can be achieved when people come together in the spirit of fairness and solidarity.”

Farm Aid president and musician Willie Nelson stated that he spoke with Governor Walz and urged he get involved. The Star Tribune reported that a spokesperson for the governor confirmed that Walz was working with “all parties involved.”

At the rally, many workers spoke out and marched in solidarity with the Teamsters, including members of AFSCME Local 3800, which represents the University’s clerical and technical workers and is currently bargaining their next contract.

“I love my job on campus,” said Mira Altobell-Resendez, who works at the Disability Resource Center on campus and is a board member of AFSCME 3800, at the rally. “Most of us do, but we cannot afford to live on our wages.”

The University and AFSCME Local 3800 are scheduled for the first of two mediation sessions on September 16.

Earlier: September 11, 5p.m.:

“It makes my heart happy to see everyone supporting us,” says Christy O’Connor about the widespread support from University of Minnesota students and community members at a press conference Thursday afternoon. Students can be seen approaching the many picket lines dotting campus, engaging in conversation with workers, and thanking them for the work that they do on campus, from taking out the trash to washing dishes to maintaining gardens.

However, Teamsters Local 320 announced that on Thursday morning they filed an unfair labor practice (ULP) against the University for allegedly violating workers’ rights under the First Amendment and the Public Employment Labor Relations Act (PELRA).

On September 10, the University of Minnesota Police Department (UMPD) and Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office deputies “executed a coordinated effort to intimidate protesters engaged in a lawful picket on public property,” according to attorney Kevin Beck in a letter to Ken Horstman, the University’s Vice president for Human Resources. “Picketers were handcuffed, ziptied, and charged with crimes for daring to engage in their Constitutionally and statutorily-protected right to protest and picket.” 

“The attempt to scare and intimidate union members is unlawful and unacceptable,” the letter says.

Asked for comment, the University said, “The University of Minnesota will respond to this legal filing through the Public Employment Relations Board as required.”

Additionally, the Star Tribune reported that the Farm Aid 40 concert, scheduled for September 20 at Huntington Bank Stadium, may have to be relocated or cancelled if the University does not return to negotiations, because the concert relies on a variety of workers that refuse to cross the picket line. “These decisions reflect our own values: The farm and labor movements are inseparable, and we believe strongly that the University must return to the bargaining table in good faith,” Farm Aid said in a statement.

There is another rally scheduled for Friday at the Northrop Plaza at 5:30pm. 

“Our message to the Minnesota labor community and the university labor community is that we need your help and your support more than ever,” says business agent Jackson Kerr. “This fight is more than just the University of Minnesota. With the attacks on public sector workers across the country, this is emblematic of how workers across the country are feeling.”

Earlier: September 9, 11:40 a.m.:

At 7:00 p.m. Tuesday evening, the Twin Cities campus workers joined the strike, with 300 to 400 workers on strike in the Twin Cities, according to Teamsters Local 320. A rally took place on the East Bank of campus near a courtyard near some of the major dorms on campus. The picket line was joined by workers, students, professors, and others in the university community. The high-energy rally continued despite the rainy conditions. 

Jackson Kerr, a business agent with the Teamsters, spoke to the crowd saying, “I want to be very very clear—this is just the first day. The only way we’ll win is if we come out and picket”. According to Kerr, workers were on strike and on picket lines in Morris, Duluth, and Crookston campuses. 

Estifanos Tesfagiorgis, a facilities worker and member of the Teamsters Local 320, passionately spoke to the crowd, stating, “They need to recognize our work. They cannot treat us like trash.” 

O’Connor assured the crowd that Teamsters on strike should reach out if they need support during this time. She said she’d personally offer anyone support with any bills with what she has and that Teamsters would support workers who may be feeling the financial hit from the strike. 

Among the top issues for the workers includes wage increases they say are not on par with what other unions on campus have been offered, and the university’s effort to change the contract expiration date. 

In a statement submitted to Workday Magazine, the university claims that “The Teamsters are purposefully misrepresenting the University’s offer.” According to the UMN, the administration “offered a 3% wage increase, plus additional financial benefits that include a lump-sum payment that other employee groups may not receive.” The statement goes on to say that, “Labor-represented employees who received different compensation had their collective bargaining agreements established under different financial circumstances in 2024.”

In response, Grady Johnson, a UMN employee and Teamster Local 320 stated, “The University can talk themselves in circles but we have been very clear. We want the same 3.5% raise that other unions are getting this year. No lump-sums or gimmicks.” 

In response to the union’s concern that the university is trying to change the contract expiration date to deter strikes or pickets during the school year in the future, the administration said, “It is important to note that the University’s negotiations with Teamsters Local 320 began in March, months before the Board of Regents approved the University’s operating budget for FY26, which happens annually in June.” 

“Having fiscal certainty helps improve negotiations at the start with all of our union-represented employees because the University will know what is feasible to include in its offers,” the university continued. “Additionally, Minnesota’s legislative session closes in May, which also has a significant impact on the University’s budget.

Johnson responded, “The Teamsters contract at the University has had a summer expiration for decades and every other union on campus shares a summer expiration without a problem.” He goes on to characterize the move as a “union busting tactic.” 

“This sudden, last-minute change from the University is a clear attempt to isolate the Teamsters from the other unions and take away our bargaining leverage with a winter expiration,” he says.

Earlier: September 9, 9:30 a.m.:

On Monday night, Teamsters Local 320 announced rolling strikes against the University of Minnesota. The first one starts at 10:00 p.m. on the Crookston and Morris campuses. Then the strikes will continue on Tuesday at 4:00 a.m. on the Duluth, Grand Rapids, Waseca, and Austin campuses, and Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. on Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses.

Christy O’Connor, a senior building and grounds worker for over 26 years at the University of Minnesota and a member of the Teamsters Local 320 bargaining team, called the university’s last offer “insulting and infuriating.” O’Connor told Workday Magazine, “I don’t get it. We just want a living wage.” 

Last Friday afternoon, facilities and food service workers at the University of Minnesota voted to strike across University of Minnesota campuses in the Twin Cities, Morris, Crookston, and Duluth and its satellite campuses. Of the workers who voted, 82% of members voted to reject the offer from the university, citing allegations that the university is not offering raises on par with other unions on campus. Workers also rejected the offer due to what they say are inadequate raises for the lowest paid workers and a change in contract expiration date. 

The strike could impact the day-to-day functioning of campuses. The 1,400 workers across the state include waste management, building repair technicians, janitors, groundskeeping, food service workers in cafeterias and even laboratory staff. 

In a statement from Teamsters Local 320, the union states that the university refused to meet the demands of the workers. According to the union, “Workers are demanding parity with other university union settlements and preservation of hard-fought gains won in mediation.” 

In a statement sent to Workday Magazine, Grady Johnson, a union steward and university gardener, said, “Our negotiation committee has been very clear on our demands. They have worked tirelessly to reach an agreement. Our positions were close, but ultimately, the universities’ proposal is inadequate.”

Along with concerns over wages, workers also rejected the university’s proposal to change the contract expiration so that bargaining and possible future strikes would land within the winter months, making strikes and picketing more difficult for members. Members also say this would reduce their bargaining power to strike during the semester when the campus is filled with students. 

In a campus-wide email from the University of Minnesota Office of Human Resources, the university called the decision to strike “disappointing” and assured that the university would continue to offer “vital services” on campuses. The email, with the subject line, “Preparing for Service Disruptions,” goes on to state, “Some delays or minor disruptions may occur” and that the university hopes an agreement will be reached. 

Workers and allies plan 24-hour picket lines across University of Minnesota campuses until a deal is reached. In the Twin Cities campuses, workers plan to picket in multiple locations throughout the Minneapolis campus. 

O’Connor said the action was made possible by “our internal organizing—boots on the ground and talking to people. We’re all spread out with a million different punching clocks. We kept emailing, making zoom calls, and just talking to people.” 

When asked what would bring her back to the bargaining table, O’Connor stated, “We cannot water down our proposals any more. We’re at the absolute bottom. I don’t know what coming back to the table looks like unless they’re ready to give us what we’re asking for”. 

This story will continue to be updated. 

Isabela is the Senior Associate Editor for Workday Magazine.

Amie Stager is the Associate Editor for Workday Magazine.