By Sara Quam
State union strikers showed solidarity starting at 6 a.m. Monday outside the Minnesota Veterans Home, Luverne.
Inside the facility, 54 National Guardsmen filled in for absent workers as resident assistants and maintenance and food service employees.
It was the first day of the statewide worker strike involving the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and Minnesota Association of Professional Employees.
The Veterans Home isnÕt the only local agency affected by the strike. Just one of the highway department employees is at work, and driversÕ test stations wonÕt be open. Burn permits canÕt be issued either because Rock County has to report to state agency employees who are on strike in order to legally issue those permits.
The Luverne Education Association is one thatÕs come out to support the strikers. It voted to donate $1,000 to a hardship fund set up by the union.
Crossing the line
Some Vets Home union members crossed the picket line to start their shift and fill in for those striking.
Vets Home Administrator Pam Barrows said she worries about that creating a division. "EverybodyÕs got a right to do what theyÕve got to do, and I respect that."
She said she hopes both the strikers and those showing up for work see each otherÕs side and donÕt keep a divisiveness once the strike ends.
"The strike is going to be settled," she said. "TheyÕll have to work together again, and I donÕt want to see [the division] happen. TheyÕre a great group of people."
But according to some employees crossing the picket line, the tension is there.
Amy Cowell, a resident assistant, said, "ItÕs hard to cross the line when theyÕre standing there; they had a camcorder on us and tried to put papers in my car window."
Some employees whoÕve continued working have gotten "guilt visits" from union members on strike and have been handed letters saying that people who cross picket lines will be remembered when negotiations settle.
The union members striking say they are doing the dirty work without pay while all employees benefit if contracts are improved based on their efforts.
Cowell said, "I donÕt feel itÕs right we strike, with what happened in New York and whatÕs going on in the economy. People are getting laid off and losing jobs.
"WeÕve been getting fantastic benefits, and I donÕt think what the state had to offer was bad at all," she said.
The unions approved the strike Sunday after negotiations failed. The state offered AFSCME members a 3-percent raise in each of the next two years and MAPE a one-time 4-percent raise. AFSCME leaders wanted 5-percent increases and MAPE requested 4.5 percent each year of the two-year contract.
Health benefits are a major concern for local strikers. Diane Strassburg said, "ItÕs all about the benefits."
The state wants to reduce insurance premiums for most by making those who use the services pay more in co-payments and deductibles. The union says this new plan has the potential to eat up 25 percent of some workersÕ earnings.
Help wanted
Strikers said they will start looking for other jobs and one, Louella Voigt, said sheÕs close to finding one.
She works at the Willmar Regional Treatment Center as a social worker and already Tuesday had an interview in Sioux Falls where an attractive salary was mentioned.
"ThatÕs the thing, We could all be getting new jobs." And the positions left open, Voigt said, would mean more training for new employees.
Voigt, a MAPE member, said sheÕs heard much feedback from people supportive of the strike.
"The truckers have been great," another striker said.
Some in Rock County may not be as supportive of the strike as in other parts of the state where the same wage may not mean as much. Wages for state employees in the area are often higher than others in comparable private sector positions.
Cowell said she makes $13.89 an hour. While averages donÕt reflect the entire picture, the average hourly wage for a resident assistant (nurseÕs aide) is $12.65 along with what the Vets Home calculates as $5.67 worth of benefits.
Food service workers are paid an average of $12.90 an hour, and maintenance is paid an average of $13.36. Night and weekend shifts get additional compensation.
The averages were calculated by the Vets Home in June and reflect what workers were making at that time.
Continuing care
As far as current operations, Barrows is comfortable with the work Guardsmen are doing so far.
"ThatÕs my primary responsibility Ñ to make sure the veterans are taken care of," Barrows said.
The strikers outside said they wondered whether men in fatigues offer the same level of comfort in care that they did. Workers said many veterans at the home have difficulty swallowing food, and there are so many specialized rules in the home that a short training session may not be adequate for residents.
Cowell said she sees the Guardsmen providing "wonderful" care and residents havenÕt complained. She said everything is on its usual schedule, and the days run smoothly.
Guard members are working on a voluntary basis for daily fees and food and housing allowances. They were told to expect to work here for two weeks but prepare to stay for two months.
Local AFSCME President David Meyer said union members, too, are ready for whatever comes and will strike however long it takes.