Nearly 170 Chisago County employees stepped away from their desks this week and onto the sidewalks outside the county government center in Center City, forming picket lines at offices across the county in a very public fight over health insurance and rising medical costs. The Teamsters-represented staff includes social workers and other Health & Human Services and Government Center professionals, and the walkout comes after months of bargaining capped by a state-mandated mediation period that wrapped up earlier this month. County leaders insist critical services will stay up and running, but the strike has already triggered operational changes at satellite HHS sites.
Teamsters serve notice; county outlines its offer
Teamsters Local 320 formally served notice of intent to strike after rejecting the county's proposed two-year contract, which county officials say covers roughly 170 employees in the HHS and Government Center professional units. The county says its offer includes a two-year deal with 3% wage increases in each year plus 3.5% step increases, which it calculates as roughly a 13% total compensation bump over the life of the contract. Officials add that contingency plans were drawn up in case workers walked out. As detailed by Chisago County, some services may be consolidated while keeping what the county describes as critical functions available to the public.
Workers say health insurance is the sticking point
On the picket lines, employees and union leaders counter that the real fight is not paychecks, at least not primarily, but the structure of their health plan and how much of the bill lands on families. "Right from the beginning we've been trying to protect our health insurance dollars," Teamsters business agent Amy Perusse told reporters. Co-worker Troy Davidsavor, who works in the county zoning office, added: "We don't have a choice. They're trying to raise our deductibles without bringing pay to the table." The comments and video from the strike were reported by CBS Minnesota.
Union floated moving members to Teamsters fund
According to county documents, the dispute took a sharp turn during the cooling-off period, when the union for the first time proposed shifting members off the county-sponsored health plan and into the Teamsters Joint Council 32-Employers Health and Welfare Fund. The county notes that the Teamsters fund differs in coverage and deductibles and does not include a health-savings account option. County leaders say they remain willing to contribute toward premiums at the same level as before, but not beyond the actual premium cost. Those plan design differences are a key reason negotiators are still stuck, the county materials state.
Legal stakes
Both Chisago County and the Teamsters have filed unfair-labor-practice complaints, a step that can trigger formal hearings and administrative orders under Minnesota's public-sector labor laws. The charges go through the state's Public Employment Relations Board, which investigates unfair-labor-practice cases and can send them to hearing, according to the Public Employment Relations Board.
Why this matters beyond Chisago
Rising health-insurance costs are sparking labor battles across Minnesota, from educators pushing for statewide insurance pools to public-sector workers pressing for plans that keep deductibles and premiums in check. Advocates say broader fixes are in the conversation at the Capitol as premiums continue to climb, a trend examined by MPR News.
Both sides say they are still open to talks, and local officials are watching closely to see whether renewed bargaining or another round of mediation will bring the walkout to an end. For now, residents who rely on county HHS services are seeing picket lines and consolidated offices; how long that disruption lasts depends on whether negotiators can close the gap on health insurance.
