Negotiators develop proposals and member actions to attain the best contract

The Negotiations Committee met last week to discuss plans for the upcoming contract opener in St. Paul. The contract bargaining team officially kicks off negotiations with Minnesota Management and Budget on April 15. 

Nearly 600 members participated in MAPE’s largest Lobby Day on March 6 at the Capitol. 170 state legislators met with members to learn about members’ jobs and discuss the importance of fully funding state agency budgets so Minnesotans can receive the programs and services they need and deserve.  

“This year at Lobby Day, we were able to make an impression on our Legislators that we are serious about keeping our jobs safe and secure as we provide services which are imperative to Minnesotans. The engagement of our members was so visible in the Capitol that legislators even remarked on it!” Negotiations Co-Chair Carolyn Murphy said. 

“MAPE members are showing up like never before. Getting our voices heard at the Capitol is an important step in the negotiations process, and we couldn’t be more thrilled at the turnout. Lobby day engagement was a great dress rehearsal for member action, as we’ll need everyone to participate in actions to protect our contract this round of negotiations,” she added.    

During the March 13-14 meetings, negotiators discussed various statewide actions members could participate in during the contract campaign. In addition, the team is in training mode. They discussed escalation plans and learned about strike education for the membership. They also learned how we talk to the Employer during active negotiations and bargaining law (rules of engagement). “The team is really coming together and since many of us are first-time negotiators, we spent time discussing how to interact with management and mapped out various table strategies,” Negotiations Co-Chair Sean McIntyre said.   

Last week, negotiators set up the conference room to resemble the two sides facing each other as they would at next month’s negotiations opener. “The exercises and presentations painted a clearer picture of negotiations. I feel more comfortable on how it all plays out from presenting proposals to fighting for them. We came up with concrete plans and I have a better understanding of what the opener is going to look like,” Region 3’s Naveen Borojerdi said.   

If you haven’t already filled out the Negotiations Survey, please complete the survey by March 24.  

MAPE is always looking for stories to highlight the ways members provide Minnesotans with the critical programs and services they need and deserve. Submit yours using this form.