U of M Labor and Community Strike Support Committee

Sisters and Brothers,

We in AFSCME 3260, 3800, 3801 and 3937 need your support and solidarity. On Friday night August 10th, the University brought a "settlement offer" to the AFSCME joint negotiations committee. Our committee has sent this on to our members, recommending that we vote to "reject and strike." A strike vote for all four locals is set for next Thursday, August 23. We need you to stand behind us.

This University's wage offer does not come close to meeting our economic needs, and does nothing to make up the pay cuts that our members have faced over the last several contracts. We've faced wage freezes, lost out on annual step increases, and confronted a huge rise in health care premiums. All of this, while rising inflation has taken 4 to 5% out of our pay checks every year. The University Administration has justified these attacks, by calling on its lowest paid employees to "share the pain."

This year, University AFSCME stands united, saying enough is enough. This is the year, and this is the contract, when the University needs to start paying back years of our lost wages. We expect that our members will support the negotiating committee by authorizing a strike. We need your solidarity as we move ahead.

Community support was crucial to the success of the strike by AFSCME 3800 in 2003. This year, all the University AFSCME locals need your support again. We are asking our supporters on campus, in the community, and in the labor movement to help us win a contract that our members, and our members' families, can live with. We are calling for the first Labor and Community Strike Support Committee meeting, this Saturday, August 18th at 10am at the UTEC building in Dinkytown, 1313 5th Street SE, Room 102A, Minneapolis.

Please join us for this meeting, to find out how you can support our struggle for justice for University workers. If you have questions, feel free to contact the Strike Support Committee at (612) 234-8774 or support@uworkers.org. Please forward this request to others who may be interested in joining us. More information for supporters will be posted soon at www.uworkers.org.

In solidarity,

Jess Sundin
U of M AFSCME