The rally will start at 11 a.m. at the McNamara Center on the East Bank of the university's Minneapolis campus. Scheduled speakers include U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken, state Senator Lyndon Carlson, striking workers and community supporters.
The rally will be preceded by another event organized by students in support of the strike which began Wednesday.
A benefit will be held Saturday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m. at the CWA Local 7200 hall, 3521 E. Lake St., Minneapolis. Donations will be accepted to aid the university strikers.
Clerical, technical and health care workers represented by AFSCME walked off the job to seek wage improvements in their contracts. As the second day of the strike drew to a close, AFSCME said, "Impacts of the strike were being felt all over the university community."
The union cited these examples:
• Dental clinics remained consolidated on a single floor.
• Boynton Health Service and the Veterinary Teaching Hospital also remained closed to all but emergency patients.
• With UMPD dispatchers on strike, police are relying on radio relay to respond to non-emergency calls.
• Various helplines were being staffed by supervisors, not the regular staff with the expertise to solve problems.
"At the same time the strike deepens, so does the support," the union said. "Barak Obama's campaign is canceling a planned 7,000-person event that had been scheduled to take place on campus Sept. 15 because he will not cross union picket lines. Students at the Humphrey Institute held an impromptu ice cream social for striking workers with four gallons of ice cream and toppings.
"Dance students brought class to the picket lines today performing dances for striking workers. Cultural studies professors had sandwiches delivered to picket lines as they met to discuss more ways to support the strike. Unionized delivery drivers are refusing to cross picket lines, forcing supervisors to to drive to campus and make their deliveries. Parents of children at UM Childcare Center joined striking teachers on the picket lines this evening."
For more information
Go to the Workday Minnesota special section on the strike
View video coverage of the strike
Visit the unions' websites, www.afscme3800.org, www.afscme3937.org, www.afscmemn.org and www.d.umn.edu/~afscme/
To provide support, see www.uworkers.org and www.afscmemn.org
For information from the U of M Office of Human Resources, http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/er/negotiations/afscmeproposal.html
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