45 Teamsters Set to Strike After County Fails to Offer Juneteenth as a Paid Holiday

(STILLWATER, Minn.) – Probation officers in Washington County represented by Teamsters Local 320 have voted 39-1 to reject the county’s final offer and authorize a strike. Teamsters are demanding that Washington County include Juneteenth as a paid holiday for workers.

“Refusing to offer these workers Juneteenth as a paid holiday when the state of Minnesota and federal government have declared it as a holiday is absolutely ridiculous,” said Joshua Loahr, Business Representative at Local 320 in Minneapolis. “These workers play a pivotal role in the justice system and will not settle for a contract that does not include Juneteenth as a paid holiday. We hope the employer will come to their senses and offer these workers the contract they deserve, or else they’ll be forcing workers to the picket line.”

“Washington County is using Juneteenth as a bargaining chip and trying to force us to forfeit our previously negotiated Christmas Eve holiday,” said Carson Kulow, Washington County probation officer and Local 320 shop steward. “Because we will not forfeit Christmas Eve, the County is refusing to afford our members the same number of holidays as every other Washington County worker. We’re not asking for anything more than what other county workers receive. We hope to get back to negotiations as quickly as possible to resolve this issue and avoid any stoppage of work, but today’s vote to authorize a strike shows that we are not afraid to withhold our labor.”

There are no dates currently scheduled for negotiations, but Local 320 has demanded that the employer to come back to the table and agree to the contract these workers deserve.

Teamsters Local 320 represents a wide variety of public sector workers throughout Minnesota. For more information go to teamsterslocal320.org/

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