From Phyllis Walker, President of Local 3800:
On September 4, 2003, AFSCME 3800 Clerical Workers at the University of Minnesota, reached impasse at the negotiating table.
The University’s final offer contains greatly increased health care costs, a 2003 wage freeze, the elimination of step increases, the elimination of an important severance benefit and no agreement on important job security related measures. These take backs amount to a pay cut of more than two weeks’ take home pay for most clerical workers. Our negotiating team was not sent to the table to negotiate concessions and will be taking the University’s final offer to the membership with a recommendation to reject it and to strike.
The University of Minnesota administration says that its final offer is “sharing the pain” of its budget problems. In reality, they are asking the lowest paid workers at the University to shoulder the burden, not to share the pain. There is a distribution crisis at the University of Minnesota, not a budget crisis. The University is still finding money for raises for those already making over $100,000 per year, as well as millions for building and beautification projects. The health of our families needs to be a priority in the University budget.
For more information on how to support AFSCME 3800, go to http://www.uworkers.org/
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