It was the most difficult round of negotiations in a generation.
Negotiators for AFSCME Council 5 state employees finally reached a tentative agreement with the state of Minnesota on June 27. Covering 18,000 state workers, this agreement shows the power of unity and the freedom working people have when they speak up for one another.
Council 5 members ratified the agreement with majority support in early August, securing important gains by fighting back against the state’s attempts to take more from workers while giving nothing in return.
Members stood together and:
- Blocked massive insurance plan changes that would have gutted health care.
- Saved step increases the state tried to freeze.
- Secured across-the-board wage increases of 1.5% in 2025 and 1.75% in 2026 for all state workers.
- Won $100 compensation for any improperly forced overtime shift.
“These victories were possible only because AFSCME Council 5 members and our other valued labor partners refused to let Minnesota politicians and state negotiators strip away our hard-earned rights. By standing together, our union members forced the state to back off its most egregious proposals and deliver real improvements,” said Council 5 Executive Director Bart Andersen.
“Our fight is not over. The next round of negotiations will come quickly, and AFSCME Council 5 members and our allies are already preparing to win more for the workers who make Minnesota happen,” he added.
Council 5 will debrief with members, build even more activism and strengthen the power in numbers that makes victories possible.
Every contract fight is about more than wages and benefits. It is about dignity, respect and the freedom for working families to prosper. This contract proves a simple truth: when AFSCME members unite, we win.