Minneapolis park workers on strike attend Minnehaha Art Fair to have more meaningful interactions

MINNEAPOLIS — Sunday marked Day 18 of the park workers strike in Minneapolis.

Rain didn’t slow down the crowds at Minnehaha Regional Park on Sunday for the Minnehaha Art Fair, which provided a unique opportunity for LiUNA Local 363 members to share their fight through a more intimate interaction with people in attendance.

“It definitely helped for me to be able to hear from them what their perspective is and what’s going on, rather than seeing that there’s something they’re striking against, but really what it is they’re striking against,” said Phys O’Higgins, who was attending the art fair on Sunday, and was approached by a union member who explained their cause.

Local 363 took a break from chanting on the picket line and canvassed instead.

“It helps break through some of the noise,” said A.J. Lange, the business manager of Local 363.

When large events like the Minnehaha Art Fair take place during a strike, union members, who are still working, and park management will bring resources to the event to keep it successful by restocking restrooms and keeping the park clean. It then leads to other parks getting neglected.

“You’re seeing the impacts at other parks. You go by North Commons Park, for example, and it doesn’t look like it should because [park staff] is spread thin,” said Lange.

North Commons Park on Sunday still had large broken tree branches littered across the park from earlier storms and quite a bit of trash in it.

On Friday, 91% of union members voted against the park board’s most recent offer. The union says they’re good with the park board’s wage increase offer of 10.25% over three years, but says there are still parts of the contract they’re not happy with, leading to the ongoing gridlock.

“They need to drop the union-busting language, wanting to restrict or reduce our stewards, building discipline into our ongoing wage increases which we’ve never had before,” said Lange.

With more than two weeks on the picket line, everyone is feeling the effects of it now.

“We just need to get back work, and I think there’s a clear path forward,” said Lange.

On Monday, park workers plan to picket at Lyndale Farmstead Park and canvas at Lake Harriet Bandshell.

There is no word yet on when they’ll return to the negotiating table.

For a full breakdown of the timeline of negotiations since June, click here.