MPR News PM Update

Feb. 14, 2022

Minneapolis teachers and support staff are voting Monday whether to authorize a strike, with St. Paul teachers poised to do the same later this week.

The Minneapolis Federation of Teachers is asking for better pay across the board, including for education support professionals, as well as smaller class sizes, mental health support and other changes. The district says it wants to both fairly and competitively compensate staff, and also establish a safe learning environment. But the two sides haven't been able to reach an agreement.

St. Paul's teachers union is set to hold a strike vote on Thursday. The St. Paul Federation of Educators is also demanding higher pay, mental health supports and smaller class sizes. The union and district have been in mediation since November. The district has offered a 1.5 percent pay increase and projects a $43 million budget deficit next year.

The strike votes do not mean school staff walk out immediately. They have a mandatory 10-day cooling off period to work out a deal before any work stoppage.

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