MINNEAPOLIS – Teachers and others with Minneapolis Public Schools have voted to authorize a strike after failed discussions with the district on three separate contracts, the union that represents them said.
The Minneapolis Federation of Educators said 92% of educators cast a ballot, and 92% of those voted to authorize a strike.
“No one wants to strike, but district leaders have left us no choice,” Marcia Howard, president of the teachers’ chapter of the union, said.
Union officials said members are frustrated after nearly seven months of talks with no serious proposals. The union said it’s made 35 proposals across nine public sessions since negotiations started in April, and filed for mediation in August.
“They just keep delaying and disappointing us with the lack of preparedness,” said Howard. “We thought we’d be settled by summer. Before school started. But it’s fall and we’re here.”
The next mediation session is scheduled for Thursday, according to the union. The two sides have met in mediation seven times, with the latest session on Oct. 21. They’re negotiating three contracts covering teachers, educational support professionals and adult educators, the union said.
Some of the top issues educators are fighting for include limited class sizes, better pay and more support for students and staff. Educators want to make Minneapolis a “destination district,” instead of losing teachers and families other districts in the Twin Cities.
“The district remains hopeful that a student-centered and fair agreement can be reached and looks forward to the next scheduled bargaining session,” the district said Tuesday.
The strike would need to be approved by the joint executive board of the union, which hasn’t convened since votes were tallied late Monday night. The union says it must give the school district at least a 10-day notice before any strike begins by filing its intent to strike with Minnesota.
Taylor added that “there’s time and there’s hope” for the district to return with a proposal they’ll accept and avert a strike.
The Minneapolis Federation of Educators said it represents “more than 4,300 teachers, educational support professionals, and other related service professionals in Minneapolis Public Schools.”
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