On July 4, approximately 40% of more than 300 Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) workers in Local 363 went on strike and didn’t show up for work. The full effect of the strike will most likely not be known until Monday, July 8. But park leadership is confident that the plans the MPRB has in place, including adjusting both work priorities and staffing locations, will help the MPRB continue to deliver core services and minimize impacts to the public.
The MPRB has been negotiating in good faith for more than seven months. On July 1, the MPRB extended a last, best, and final offer that included a 10.25% wage increase over three years plus market adjustments for 13 positions (178 employees) and contract language changes.
For some Local 363 positions, such as Parkkeeper, the MPRB proposal actually represents a wage growth of 14.59% over the three years based on the proposed 10.25% wage increase, market adjustments, annual contract steps, and two pensions (see details below). This translates into a nearly $5 an hour raise for many employees.
The MPRB offer to Local 363 fulltime employees will cost $4.6 million over three years. The last Local 363 proposal will cost $6.7 million over three years, a difference of $2.1 million and 45% higher than the MPRB offer.
Current average salaries (prior to the proposed three-year 10.25% wage increase) range from $61,000 to $92,000, with total compensation including wage, healthcare, pensions, and other benefits for Local 363 positions at $92,362-$128,368. Due to previous wage scales and increases, the proposed MPRB increase exceeds the total wage package of the City of Minneapolis 363 workers over the same three-year period.
MPRB believes its wages are fair and equitable based on salary analysis comparisons that were based on job descriptions, job functions and qualifications, not job titles. See the MPRB’s full final offer.
We continue to ask Local 363 leadership to bring our offer to a member vote.
Example of Parkkeeper wage increase over three years
LIUNA members have two pensions, one PERA and one for LIUNA. The LIUNA pension contribution is solely paid for by the employee and the LIUNA pension payment of $1.74 per hour is added to the member’s hourly rate before wage increases are calculated and then subtracted back out. Management’s offer is providing a market adjustment of $0.50 in the second and third year of the contract. So, the actual per hour amounts would be calculated as follows:
((30.994264+1.74) * 1.0275 – 1.74) = $31.894456 for year one
((31.894456 +1.74+0.50) * 1.045 – 1.74) = $33.930507 for year two
((33.930507 +1.74+ 0.50) * 1.03 – 1.74) = $35.515622 for year three
This represents a wage growth of 14.59% over the three years for this title and step.