Middle Management Association (MMA) began bargaining with Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) on April 19th. Opening proposals were exchanged the first day. We met and negotiated on four additional days. In order to make progress in the negotiations, MMA and MMB went into mediation on June 29th. Mediation is a process where a neutral party (mediator) from the Bureau of Mediation Services (BMS) helps facilitate a voluntary agreement between the parties in meetings that are closed and confidential.
We were in mediation on July 16th, July 30th, and August 4th. Unfortunately, we still do not have an agreement. MMA is continuing to push for proposals that are important to our members. Because we are classified as essential employees under provisions of the Minnesota Public Employment Labor Relations Act (PELRA), in the event a voluntary agreement is not reached, we would go to interest arbitration to resolve outstanding issues.
We will be working with MMB and the mediator to schedule additional meetings to try to get an agreement.