The union representing Chisago County workers who’ve been on strike for nearly four months says they’ve reached a tentative contract agreement.
Teamsters Local 320 said the three-year deal is slated for a ratification vote on Friday.
“This historic strike is equaled by the historic settlement,” Erik Skoog, the union’s secretary-treasurer and principal officer, said in a statement. “This was a battle of giants, and our sisters and brothers stood strong and won an amazing settlement.”
The county had not commented on the reported agreement as of late Thursday morning.
The union said the agreement addresses two main sticking points that led to the lengthy strike — including a wage increase of 20.5 percent over three years, and offering health insurance through the Teamsters.
About 125 union members have been on strike since May 1 — representing about 30 percent of Chisago County employees. It included health and human services workers, and government center professionals.
The strike followed negotiations that had started last fall.
At nearly 120 days, the strike — while long — is not the longest public-sector strike in Minnesota history.
A spokesperson for the Minnesota Bureau of Mediation Services said the longest was by city workers in Park Rapids, who went on strike for 240 days. That strike ended in 1977.
