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Striking snowplow drivers, Minnesota county resume mediation

Biden expresses support for St. Louis County workers in tweet

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A St. Louis County snowplow and a front-end loader drive on Old Miller Trunk Highway near the Richard H. Hanson Transportation & Public Works Complex Thursday. (Steve Kuchera / skuchera@duluthnews.com)

DULUTH — St. Louis County Public Works and striking snowplow drivers are back at the mediation table Sunday, Jan. 19.

County spokeswoman Dana Kazel said that the Minnesota Bureau of Mediation Services requested the session, which started at 11 a.m. Kazel had no update on any progress Sunday afternoon.

Members of the Teamsters Local 320 have been on strike since Wednesday morning. The sticking point is sick-leave accrual , with Teamsters seeking a higher cap figure for their newest members.

Union leaders want members to be able to retire with up to 1,500 hours of accrued sick leave, a figure that two other county bargaining units have negotiated. But the county maintains those units made concessions for a higher cap, and that it would be an unreasonable financial burden to raise the limit across the board.

Presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden reached out to the drivers in a tweet Sunday morning, saying "Every worker in this country deserves the dignity that comes with fair wages and benefits." Biden joins several presidential candidates, including Amy Klobuchar and Bernie Sanders, to proclaim their solidarity with the strikers. U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Hermantown, visited the picket line Friday.

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