Teamsters Local 320 says its strike at the University of Minnesota has come to an end. In a Facebook post, the union says it is putting forward a tentative agreement for members to vote on.
About 1,400 custodians, maintenance staff, and food service workers had been on strike across several campuses since Monday.
Meanwhile, organizers of Farm Aid say they will go ahead with a planned concert on Saturday, Sept. 20. The event is scheduled for the U of M’s Huntington Bank Stadium and will feature performances from Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp.
Prior to the tentative agreement, Farm Aid said artists and production team members wouldn’t cross picket lines. “The farm and labor movements are inseparable,” they wrote in a statement.
In an interview with MPR News on Friday, Gregg Goldman, executive vice president for finance and operations at the U of M, noted the tight times at the university.
“Higher education is in an existential crisis right now across many fronts, both at the federal level and at the state level,” he said. “We are appreciative of what the governor and the Minnesota Senate and the House did for us this year. But that being said, we are facing times of decreased revenue, decreased grants and uncertainty going forward.”
