(Scroll down for links to all negotiations notes and proposals)

On Wednesday, June 29, we opened negotiations with the University of Minnesota for the 2011-2013 collective bargaining agreement. Our opening proposal was developed from your responses to our survey and was approved at our special membership meeting on June 8.

The message you sent us in your survey answers was clear-we cannot endure another round of wage freezes and the loss of step increases. Fifty percent (50%) who responded stated that you had fallen behind on rent or mortgage payments during the last two years. Sixty-eight percent (68%) had to use a credit card to make ends meet. We have sacrificed tremendously during this economic crisis.

At the same time that we've endured wage freezes, senior administration and middle managers have gotten pay raises. In the survey, you also told us that you cannot afford any increases in health care costs; that job security is a high priority; and that you deserve a respectful workplace.

As in past years, notes from our negotiating sessions will be posted on our web site that are as close to verbatim as possible. Our goal is to keep you as informed as we can by providing a clear, concise, and objective account of what happens at the bargaining table. We will email you after each session's notes are posted.

It is important to note that in contract negotiations in 2009 the U proposed a two year wage freeze. They also proposed taking away our step increases for two years (July 2009-June 2011). In an effort to do our part to help the U cut expenses, we agreed to forgo our step increases from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2011, but insisted that the U agree to contract language stating that this is temporary and that our step increases would start again on July 1, 2011. The University agreed to language resuming our step increases on July 1, 2011.

Needless to say, we were shocked when the U refused to honor our agreement and resume our step increases on July 1, 2011. We have filed a class action grievance against the U (which is the first step in fighting this egregious contract violation) and will keep you posted as we move through the process of regaining our contractually agreed upon step increases.

These are the proposals from the union and from management in the 2011 contract negotiations.

Union Proposal #1 - Part 1  (6/29/11)

Union Proposal #1 - Part 2  (6/29/11)

Management Proposal #1 (6/29/11)

Management Proposal #2 (7/7/11)

Management Insurance Proposal (8/15/11)

Management's 8/15/11 proposals for:

• Medical rates
• Dental rates
• Poverty grant

These are the union's notes from the negotiating sessions.

Notes from 6/29/11 / (pdf version for printing)

Notes from 7/7/11 / (pdf version for printing)

Notes from 7/19/11 / (pdf version for printing / AFSCME data request 7/19/11)

Notes from 8/15/11 / (pdf version for printing)

Notes from 8/18/11 / (pdf version for printing )

_____________________________