15 people were arrested at MSP Airport on Wednesday according to union officials as a three-day strike involving thousands of Twin Cities janitors represented by SEIU Local 26, which also represents airport workers, concluded.
According to a press release, the 15 individuals were arrested for civil disobedience.
Video from the incident at Terminal 1 shows several people sitting in a line, on the road, and officers taking them away.
"It was so powerful to see my co-workers standing up for fair wages and retirement benefits over these days. We marched outside of the buildings where we clean, we brought hundreds to the capitol and we saw people willing to take arrest at the MSP Airport in support of us," said Christopher Haugabrook, a janitor at the MSP Airport who took part of the ULP strike. "We are going into bargaining ready to win a contract that respects our work and shows what we are worth. This strike has been so powerful and we're showing what we say is true: when we fight, we win!"
Among those arrested, SEIU Executive Vice President Neal Bisno.
Thousands began striking earlier this week across more than 100 different buildings in the Twin Cities, including the Ameriprise Headquarters in downtown Minneapolis.
The janitors are calling for better wages and benefits.
"Six of our workers died during the early days of the pandemic, these are essential workers, and since that time many of us have still have not seen a wage raise of significance, or employer-paid retirement," said Greg Nammacher, president of SEIU local 26.
SEIU local 26 represents some 4,000 commercial building janitors in the Twin Cities.
A bargaining session is scheduled for Friday.