University of Minnesota services workers are on strike

Service workers strike begins at U of M campuses

Service workers at several University of Minnesota campuses are striking. Here's the latest.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Workers at several University of Minnesota campuses across Minnesota are on strike, which could mean disruptions in dining options and cleanliness for students. 

U of M strike

Local perspective:

Hundreds of workers represented by the Teamsters Local 320 walked off the job at U of M campuses in Crookston and Morris overnight and the strike is expanding to include employees at Duluth, Grand Rapids, Waseca and Austin on Tuesday morning. By Tuesday afternoon, service workers at the Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses are expected to join the strike. 

How the strike will impact students and staff will vary based on the campus, but in the Twin Cities, students can expect to see limitations in some of their dining options. There will be delays in package and campus mail deliveries, and less maintenance and cleaning services until the strike is over. 

What we don't know:

It's unclear how long the strike could last. The university says it hopes a resolution can be reached and remains open to discussions with the Teamsters through the Bureau of Mediation Services. 

Last week, the union that represents 1,400 maintenance, custodial and food service workers said it had rejected the university's last, best and final contract offer. The U of M said that the two-year deal included a 3% increase in all pay steps the first year and a minimum 2% in year two. In addition to $500 lump payments, there are market adjustments depending on the job and shift differential increases based on the time of day someone works. But the teamsters say they're demanding parity with other university union settlements and preservation of the hard-fought gains won in mediation.