Teachers in Minneapolis strike; St. Paul strikes back

This will result in 29,000 students being left without school in one of Minnesota's most populous districts.

Union members stated that they were unable to reach an agreement on wages, particularly a "living wage", for educators support professionals. They also disagreed on caps on class sizes, and increased mental health services for students.

"We are going to strike tomorrow for safe and stable schools that our students deserve," Greta Curnningham, president of Teachers' Chapter of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers.

The school district called the news "disapointing", but promised to "remain non-stop at the mediation table in an effort to decrease the duration and impact of the strike."

Teachers from the St. Paul School District with 34,000 students announced a tentative agreement late Monday to avoid a strike that was also scheduled to begin Tuesday.

Officials from both cities stated that the issues were similar. According to the St. Paul Teachers Union, their tentative agreement includes maintaining class size caps, increasing mental health support and paying increases.

"This agreement could have reached much sooner. "It shouldn't have required a strike vote but we got there," Leah VanDassor, president of local unions, said in an announcement about the agreement.

Joe Gothard, St. Paul Superintendent, said that the agreements were fair and within the budget limits of the district.

The negotiations between the administrators and the union leaders of both districts were facilitated by state mediators. Although classes would cease in strike situations, the districts stated that some school sports and services would continue.

According to national labor leaders, teachers and support staff are all experiencing the same overload and burnout issues due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. However, the Twin Cities districts are the only large ones that are on the brink of a strike. Officials from school districts have stated that they are already experiencing budget shortages as a result of enrollment losses and cannot spend the money they do not have.

Parents already feeling the effects of the pandemic disruptions were worried about the possibility of a strike.

Sybil Zielinski, Erin Zielinski’s daughter, is a first grader at Armatage Community School, in southwest Minneapolis. Although she and her husband support teachers, she expressed concern about whether the union's demands are sustainable.

Zielinski stated that her family is very fortunate. Her husband and she can count on the support of their parents during a strike. He has to return to work, but she has some flexibility to work remotely. What is her plan in case teachers strike? She laughed and said, "Survival!"

She said, "You have kind of become immune, between distance learning and home school. It's now a way to live, unfortunately." "My husband will put it all together with me."

The Minneapolis district and its teachers appeared to be ready for a walkout earlier Monday. In a statement made earlier in the day by the union, the district stated that it "isn't even pretending to avoid striking."

St. Paul's union was less hostile in a statement that stated it was reviewing a new offer that addressed issues in several of its proposals. Gothard also provided details of the proposals in a separate statement on Sunday night. He stated that the district offered language to the contract to maintain average class sizes at current levels, to hire four additional school psychologists, to make a one-time cash payment for each union employee who uses federal stimulus funds and to raise the pay for the lowest-paid education assistants.

Gothard stated that the comprehensive settlement offered addresses the union's priorities and does not increase the $42 million budget deficit next year. It also keeps our teachers, students, and staff in school.

Minneapolis is home to approximately 29,000 students, 3,265 teachers and 34,000 students. St. Paul boasts roughly 34,000 pupils and 3,250 teachers. In Minneapolis, the average teacher's annual salary is $71,000. The talks have focused on the fact that hundreds of support staffers are also employed by the districts. They often claim they don't make enough to live.