Minnesota State Employee Strike Affects Health Services

Minnesota state employees, including a number of health care workers, on Oct. 1 began their "biggest ever" strike at 6 a.m. in a dispute over wages and health insurance benefits, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports. The strike includes members of two unions, Council 6 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which includes 19,100 employees, and the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, which includes 10,400 employees (deFiebre/Cohen, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 10/1). According to union leaders, at least 80% of union members -- more than 22,000 state employees -- have "honored" the strike (Simon, Los Angeles Times, 10/2). The New York Times reports that the strike has had the "greatest impact" on several state-administered veterans homes, six campuses for drug addicts and mentally ill residents and about 100 community-based homes for the retarded (Greenhouse, New York Times, 10/2). The state has called about 1,000 National Guard members and hundreds of non-striking state employees and trained them to care for patients at the facilities (Pierre, Washington Post, 10/2). "We've had only one day of strike, but so far we've been able to maintain our core treatment services," Elaine Trimmer, assistant commissioner in the state Department of Human Services, said (New York Times, 10/2). The Minnesota Department of Health intends to "reserve resources" for the "most critical functions," such as disease outbreaks ( Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 10/1).

Rejecting a Contract
Leaders of the two state employee unions called for the strike after contract negotiations with the state "broke off" late Saturday (deFiebre/Cohen, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 10/1). The state offered MAPE employees a 4% one-time wage increase beginning Jan. 2, 2002, and AFSCME employees a 3% annual wage increase (Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 10/1). However, state employees said a planned increase in their state health plan deductibles and copayments for doctor visits and prescription drugs would "wipe out much of any raise" (New York Times, 10/2). MAPE sought a 4.5% annual wage increase, and AFSCME sought a 5% annual wage increase (Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 10/1). According to Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura (I), a larger offer would have forced the state to decrease services and employees. "A strike is not something that I wanted. I believe that the state made a sincere effort to provide a fair settlement," he said (deFiebre/Cohen, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 10/1). State officials said that the "weak economy made it impossible" to meet union wage demands. "The unions are saying that there is more money to put on the table. With the offer we made, we are already going to have to cut back on services," Ventura spokesperson John Wodele added (Washington Post, 10/2). State employees have not had a contract since early summer (New York Times, 10/2). State employees have not held a strike in Minnesota since 1981, when 14,000 employees walked off the job for 22 days (Grant, AP/Hartford Courant, 10/2).