Much of our last update remains the current status. Bargaining moved to mediation September 27, 2023. A main focus was identification of comparable positions with other public employers. This had been resolved years ago in prior joint compensation studies between MGEC and the State of Minnesota. But the employer now contends those comparisons should change and they’ve chosen lower-level positions, which skews any wage comparison, making state compensation appear more competitive. Thus far, the state has not offered new funds, without tying them to deal killing proposals. We will meet again October 4th with many other issues to resolve.