Teamsters Strike at UMD

Picketing outside of Kirby Student Center on Tuesday, Sept. 9. Photo by William Bauer

Tuesday, Sept. 9, UMD Dining services and facilities management workers of Teamsters began picketing at the UMD campus. Picket lines circled W Saint Marie St. and W College St. with bright yellow signs and enthusiasm. Official information on dining and facilities management can be found here.

One union worker stated the reason behind the strike is because of failure of contract renewal. The original contract asked for a 10% increase in wages to compensate for inflation. Other organizations had a 2-3% increase when they requested. Campus directors responded by requesting to postpone contract meetings until December, however, union workers took action now because no students or faculty will be affected in December due to winter break. 

Nearly all stop-and-go stations on UMD’s campus are closed, including the Northern Shores Coffee Shop and “The Grind,” a popular snack spot between the Kathryn A. Martin Library and the rest of campus. 

Emails from the chancellor and vice chancellor were sent out to UMD students and staff Tuesday morning, stating new hours for the Superior Dining Center. The email also stated that UMD supports “teaching, research, and outreach functions during the work stoppage. Non-striking employees are expected to continue performing their job duties.” 

Though students and faculty won’t directly be impacted by the strike, they are still at inconvenience because of campus location closures and traffic stoppages.

This is an ongoing story.