Food service workers at Mayo reach deal with employer Morrison Healthcare

(ABC 6 News) – A new deal has been reached for union food service workers at Mayo who are employed by Morrison Healthcare.

A tentative agreement was announced after 6 months of bargaining following a picket in Rochester in August.

RELATED: Food service workers at Mayo picketing for better wages

The tentative 5-year contract agreement will go to members of the unions for approval in the coming weeks and include:

• Minimum 7.5% Raise (on top of the 2.5% raise in July) with retro pay back to July 1st
  • Future raises between 2.5% and 3% (an additional 10.5% over the term of the contract)
  • Members will see as much as $5 increase in pay by the end of the agreement.
  • Regional hospital members may receive more in pay (up to 12.5%) based on location as starting rates move closer to parity with Rochester.
• Higher PTO accrual rates for longtime year members
  • PTO accruals will begin on day 1, rather than after 6 months, and new cash-out options will be made available next spring.
• No changes to Union health insurance or retirement plans, with employer paying most of costs

The contract was bargained by Morrison Coalition of Unions, which includes 500 members of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa, along with an additional 100 members from the Teamsters 120 and AFSCME Council 65.

The workers work at multiple facilities, including: Mayo Clinic Hospital St Marys and Methodist campuses, half a dozen cafeterias in Downtown Rochester, Assissi and 41st Street, as well as at regional campuses in Albert Lea, Mankato and Fairmont.

The workers perform all aspects of food service work, including as cooks, bakers, dietary aides who prepare and serve the food to patients and visitors, baristas, cashiers, sanitation workers, and more.

For more information about this announcement, CLICK HERE.