Minnesota public employment labor relations are governed by the Public Employment Labor Relations Act, Minn. Stat. 179A, commonly referred to as PELRA. The Bureau of Mediation Services determines bargaining unit scope and composition. The public policy concerns inherent in public sector labor relations encourage orderly and constructive relationships between public employers and their employees subject to the paramount right of citizens to keep inviolate the guarantees for their health, education, safety and welfare. In the context of higher education, this paramount right of the citizens is central.
The Department of Employee Relations negotiates on behalf of all state agencies including the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities for contracts covering classified employees. About 3351 classified employees are represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), 1467 by the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE), 412 by the Middle Management Association (MMA), 10 by the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA), and 7 by the Minnesota Government Engineers Council (MGEC).