Minneapolis, MN

Hundreds of Minneapolis park workers poised to strike for a week beginning July 4

Published

2 years ago

July 3, 2024

Hundreds of Minneapolis park workers poised to strike for a week beginning July 4

Hundreds of Minneapolis park employees are set to strike over the Fourth of July — one of the busiest days for the city’s green spaces.

The union, which represents more than 300 workers who help keep the parks clean and safe, announced strike plans Tuesday. They say the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s latest contract proposal lacks sufficient wage raises and hazard protections — and includes new language that hampers transparency and bias safeguards.

“We’re not asking for special treatment, we’re just asking for fair treatment,” said LIUNA Local 363 business manager AJ Lange at a press conference Tuesday.

That announcement followed more than 15 hours of negotiating with the park board Monday and another seven months of failed negotiations prior. Lange said the union requested another bargaining date, but was met with a refusal. He said workers will strike for one week and are prepared to file another strike notice if the board doesn’t “come back to the table with a fair offer.”

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The MPRB argues negotiations have been reasonable and in good faith — and that the final offer is “competitive, fair and equitable.” They are prepared to adjust maintenance service around a smaller staff.

The board also says employees who strike will not be able to return to their job until an agreement is ratified.

“We asked — and still ask — that they bring our last, best and final offer to their members for a vote,” said Robin Smothers, a spokesperson for the board, over email.

The union says they are prepared to file an unfair labor practice charge with the state, after receiving at least one legal opinion from Minneapolis-based law firm Cummins and Cummins that barring striking employees from returning to work constitutes an “illegal threat of a discriminatory lockout.”

Smothers said in a statement that the MPRB legal counsel’s position is that their approach is not an unfair labor practice and they plan to go forward with that plan.

Safety during encampment cleanups an issue

A week before the latest negotiations, the union rallied outside of Lyndale Farmstead Park. That’s where Minneapolis’s Parks superintendents have historically resided, starting with Theodore Wirth in 1910.

The current resident is Al Bangoura. While his superintendent’s salary has climbed alongside inflation, the union argues their positions have not matched pace, falling behind while the park’s reputation consistently soars high on national rankings.

The park board has proposed a 10.25 percent wage increase over three years, including a 2.75 percent increase the first year and a $1.00 market adjustment for 13 positions over the following two years.

Union leadership say they asked for a $5.00 market adjustment and the board’s proposed wage still means some positions would lag behind other cities.

The increase would bring the maximum pay for a “parkkeeper” from $30.99 to $35.52 by 2026, which remains lower than parks maintenance employees at 19 competitive suburbs, according to a League of Minnesota Cities’ 2023 local government salary survey.

“MPRB leadership believes it is vitally important that employee wages and benefits are fair and competitive throughout the organization,” according to a statement, which pointed to a policy of 37 paid days off per year for employees with up to four years of service.

Parkkeeper Lanel Lane provides for a family of four, including a teenaged son and 6-year-old daughter who grew up playing soccer on the park’s greenery. Despite being a dual-income household, Lane says his family doesn’t have enough money to cover the bills or keep up on car repairs.

“I don’t have no money in savings right now,” said the 40-year old. “I’m not living paycheck-to-paycheck, I’m living a check behind paycheck-to-paycheck. If the wages go up, I think we can stay afloat. That’s all we’re asking.”

Lane says he’s been with Minneapolis parks for more than a decade, arriving at 5 a.m. daily in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, during 2020 riots that followed the murder of George Floyd and regularly, when tasked to clean up homeless encampments.

It can be a grueling job, he said. He’s frequently cleaning up broken glass, needles and feces, ensuring the public spaces are safe to enjoy. On one of his most difficult days, Lane said he watched a woman die from an overdose. But like any other day on the job, he pushed on.

“Just to see the poverty was disheartening,” he said. “It touched me, man. I cried a few times just thinking about how people are living out here.”

One major issue the union has with the proposed contract is insufficient hazard protections. The board offered eligible employees safety glasses and a hazard pay hike from $0.75 to $1.50 per hour for workers while performing “encampment clean-ups” with “visible biohazardous material and sharps.”

Members of LIUNA Local 363 rallied on June 25 ahead of final negotiations with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board over a new contract.

Cari Spencer | MPR News

The union claims the safety glasses provision was a previous “takeaway.” LIUNA Local 363 manager Lange said Tuesday he wanted retaliation protections for workers who raise safety concerns, as well as the ability for workers to request a risk assessment and halt work until that assessment has been completed.

The fear of risky situations is something parkkeeper Hunter Hoppe says he faces on the regular.

“There’s been homeless encampments we’ve had to take down that personally hurt my heart because you don’t know what they’re going through,” Hoppe said. “But even when you’re doing that you don’t know if someone living there is going to come up and potentially get mad at you guys even though we did give them a notice.”

‘Not a middle class job’

Arborist Scott Jaeger said he’s turning 40 soon and had hoped to buy a home by now. What was once feasible for the generation above him feels totally out of reach. He rents an apartment with his partner in Minneapolis where the average rent eats nearly 40 percent of his monthly income, he said.

“I’m a certified arborist working for the best park system in the nation and I can’t afford a home. It’s sad,” he said. “It’s not a middle class job anymore.”

Jaeger wanted to be a civil servant, but the career doesn’t seem sustainable now.

“We love being civil servants,” Jaeger said. “That’s why all of us got into this job. It’s just, eventually your love for helping the community will stop once you can’t afford to pay the bills or live in the city that you serve. So eventually, that’s going to stop.”

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Minneapolis, MN

Man on Conditional Release Now Charged in Minneapolis Murder — MNCRIME.com

Published

10 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Man on Conditional Release Now Charged in Minneapolis Murder — MNCRIME.com

A man is now charged with murder after prosecutors say a robbery inside a Minneapolis apartment building ended in a fatal shooting.

Prosecutors say the man was on conditional release after being charged with first-degree armed carjacking for an incident in Minneapolis last September.

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The killing happened Feb. 24 inside the Abbott Apartments lounge area on the 100 block of East 18th Street, where police found an adult man dead from gunshot wounds after reports of a shooting.

Court documents state the victim and a friend went to the building to meet 20-year-old Abdirahman Khayre Khayre. A witness stated Khayre left the room several times and appeared to be stalling before three armed men entered and demanded property. The men were described as carrying two Glock-style handguns with extended magazines and an AR-style rifle. During the robbery, the suspects demanded a Louis Vuitton bag belonging to the victim. When the victim resisted, a struggle broke out. The witness stated that two guns were taken from him during the robbery.

The witness told investigators Khayre was handed one of the stolen guns and then pointed it at him, causing him to flee into the lobby. Moments later, multiple gunshots were heard. The witness returned and found the victim shot. Surveillance footage from other areas of the building reportedly corroborated key parts of the account, and the witness later identified Khayre in a photo lineup, according to the complaint.

PREVIOUSLY: Man Shot and Killed Inside Minneapolis Apartment Building

Authorities say Khayre was on conditional release at the time of the killing in a separate Hennepin County case involving a September 2025 armed carjacking.

READ MORE > Minneapolis coverage

In that earlier case, prosecutors alleged Khayre and others confronted a woman in a garage near 19th Street and Nicollet Avenue, pointed handguns at her and forced her to give up the keys to a Dodge Challenger before fleeing in the stolen vehicle. Officers later located the vehicle and arrested multiple suspects, including Khayre, who was identified as the driver.

Court records show Khayre posted a $75,000 non-cash bond and was released under conditions requiring him to remain law-abiding, have no possession of firearms or ammunition, avoid alcohol and controlled substances and complete treatment.

Khayre is now charged with second-degree murder without intent while committing a felony and first-degree aggravated robbery. He made an initial court appearance Friday, where a judge set bail at $1 million. If convicted of second-degree felony murder, he faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.

The homicide investigation remains ongoing. Authorities have not yet released the identity of the victim. Anyone with information is asked to contact Minneapolis police by emailing policetips@minneapolismn.gov or calling 612-673-5845. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or online. Information leading to an arrest and conviction may be eligible for a financial reward.

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Minneapolis, MN

Man killed over Louie Vuitton bag, suspect was on bond for suspected carjacking, charges say

Published

22 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Man killed over Louie Vuitton bag, suspect was on bond for suspected carjacking, charges say

article

Minneapolis police are investigating a homicide on Feb. 24, 2026. (FOX 9)

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A man is dead after a witness said he refused to give up a Louis Vuitton bag while being robbed by multiple men at gunpoint.

Abdirahman Khayre Khayre, 20, is charged with second-degree murder and first-degree robbery for the incident that happened on the evening of Feb. 24 in Minneapolis.

READ MORE: Man fatally shot in south Minneapolis apartment building

Fatal Minneapolis shooting after robbery

The set-up:

Minneapolis police responded around 10:42 p.m. on Feb. 24 at the Abbott Apartments, located on the 100 block of East 18th Street in the Stevens Square neighborhood of Minneapolis.

Officers then found a dead man in the lobby who had been shot multiple times.

A witness to the shooting said he and the victim arrived at the apartments to “hang out” with Khayre, according to the criminal complaint.

The witness said he became suspicious when Khayre he left the room multiple times and “appeared to be stalling.”

The robbery:

The complaint states the witness reported three men then came into the room and yelled “Give me everything.” The men were armed with Glock handguns that had extended magazines as well as an AR-style rifle.

They then stole two guns from the witness, and one of them was handed to Khayre.

When the men demanded a Louis Vuitton bag from the victim, he refused, leading to a fight between them all.

The shooting:

The witness said when he walked toward them, Khayre pointed the witness’ stolen gun at him and racked it.

The witness then got out of the room, ran toward the lobby and heard multiple gunshots. He then saw two of the men flee out the back of the building, but didn’t see what direction they went in.

The victim was then found dead.

The aftermath:

Khayre was then identified by the witness in a photo lineup, according to the criminal complaint.

Police say video footage corroborated much of what the witness reported.

Khayre was on conditional release for a suspected carjacking at the time of the shooting, according to the complaint.

The Source: This story uses information gathered from a criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County and previous FOX 9 reporting.

Crime and Public SafetyMinneapolis

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Minneapolis, MN

Minnesota’s Iranian community: Mixed emotions on US-Israel strike

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Minnesota’s Iranian community: Mixed emotions on US-Israel strike

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The local Iranian community in Minnesota is expressing mixed emotions following the recent joint U.S.-Israel strike on Iran.

Local reactions to the strike

What we know:

The strike resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to President Donald Trump and Iranian state media. Many Iranians in Minnesota feel this could lead to freedom for their country.

Nazanin Naferipoor shared that her sister in Iran was initially happy about the strike, believing it might bring about freedom. However, communication has been cut off since the strike began, leaving many worried about their loved ones.

The other side:

Hamid Kashani from the Minnesota Committee in Support of a Democratic Iran expressed mixed feelings about the strike. While he hopes for change, he is concerned about the potential loss of innocent lives.

Fazy Kowsari emphasized that the attack targeted the government, not the religion, and criticized the political motivations behind the strike.

Upcoming rally at Nicollet Mall

Why you should care:

A rally is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at Nicollet Mall and 11th Street. Organizers view the U.S. strike as a rescue operation for Iranians held hostage by the regime, rather than an act of war.

PoliticsMinnesota

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