Farm Aid music festival could cancel amid continuing strikes at U of M

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Farm Aid music festival could cancel or move its show amid University of Minnesota (U of M) union workers striking. 

Farm Aid could be canceled 

What we know:

Farm Aid posted on social media Thurssday stating that, for 40 years, it has stood with farmers, working people and communities to make a more "just sustainable" food system. 

And now, the artists, production crew and partners are saying they won't cross the picket line of the U of M workers who are currently on strike. 

Farm Aid is calling on the university to come back to the bargaining table and settle the contract, otherwise the music festival may have to cancel or move, which could have dire impacts financially for Farm Aid. 

Farm Aid is currently set for Sept. 20 and is taking place at Huntington Bank Stadium on the U of M campus. 

What they're saying:

Here is the full statement from Farm Aid: 

"For nearly 40 years, Farm Aid has stood alongside family farmers, working people, and communities to build a more just and sustainable food system.

"Our 40th anniversary celebration, scheduled for September 20 at the University of Minnesota, is intended to honor that history and the resilience of America's farmers. We want nothing more than to hold this event as planned.

"We have worked in partnership with the staff at Huntington Bank Stadium to create a spectacular event. However, Farm Aid has always stood with workers in their struggles for fairness, dignity, and respect.

"Today, the University's Teamsters employees are on strike because of the University's inability to come back to the table to resolve this contract dispute justly.

"We are deeply concerned that this jeopardizes our ability to hold Farm Aid 40 as planned but primarily puts these workers in a place of hardship as they labor to provide basic needs for their families. The farm and labor movements are intertwined.

"Time and again farmers and workers have shown up for each other in solidarity. We are proud that the Teamsters support our festival each year! Our artists, production team and partners have made clear that they will not cross a picket line.

"The team that is scheduled tomorrow to begin building our complex stage and set is made up of loyal production people who have an ongoing relationship with labor across the U.S. They also will not cross a 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.

"We are currently looking at all of our options for hosting this event, but it is not an easy task to pivot at this point. It is critical to understand that if Farm Aid 40 is forced to move or cancel, the financial impact could be devastating.

"The expenses already incurred to bring this historic event to Minnesota may well threaten the survival of our organization after four decades of service to family farmers.

"We are urging the University of Minnesota to settle this contract quickly so that Farm Aid 40 can proceed as intended — to celebrate four decades of farmers, music, and solidarity.

"The world is watching, and together we can make sure this anniversary is remembered for unity, not division."

‘Defend Teamsters’ rally Friday

Dig deeper:

AFSCME UMN is holding a rally at 5:30 p.m. Friday at the Northup Plaza on campus. 

The rally is in support of Teamsters Local 320, who are U of M workers demanding a fair contract from the university. 

Local 320 is a union at the U of M that consists of food service workers, buildings and grounds workers, and maintenance and custodial workers. 

The union has been on strike since Sept. 8 after voting to reject the deal the U of M administration provided. 

The workers are asking for a 3.5% wage increase, which reportedly matches what other U of M unions have gotten, and a contract term that ends at the end of June. 

Similarly, AFSCME Local 3800, which represents almost 2,000 clerical, technical and healthcare workers at all U of M campuses, is negotiating with the U of M about similar issues to Local 320. 

AFSCME UMN President Max Vast said, "AFSCME stands in strong support of the Teamsters strike! This university claims it can’t afford raises to pay workers wages that keep up with inflation, but somehow they can afford a twelfth Vice President with a $395,000 salary. President Rebecca Cunningham received a 6% wage increase and now makes over $1,000,000 a year. Meanwhile, members of our unions work second– or even third– jobs to scrape by. It is outrageous to force students to pay 6.5% more in tuition while slashing student support services. Our understaffing, underpay, and overwork directly impacts their education. This is a public university, not a corporation– so why are they running it like one?"

A group of Minnesota DFL legislators say they stand with the union members striking and Farm Aid performers and organizers: 

"As legislators belonging to the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, we stand in solidarity with our union members in Teamsters Local 320 and their fight for a fair contract, and we echo the strong words of Farm Aid organizers and performers yesterday: the farm and labor movements are inseparable.

"We’re calling for the University of Minnesota to return to the bargaining table in good faith. We have a great opportunity to highlight Minnesota’s strong agricultural tradition and celebrate Farm Aid’s 40th Anniversary right here in Minnesota—let’s come together and reach a result that respects our workers and our farmers."

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