St. Paul teachers taking strike vote as other Minnesota districts struggle in contract talks
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Teachers in St. Paul Public Schools will vote on Thursday whether to authorize a possible strike — which would be their second in four years.
Why it matters: St. Paul exemplifies the turbulent moment many Minnesota schools are facing, even after state lawmakers approved a "life-changing" increase in education funding last year.
- Many districts say they're still struggling to make ends meet as $1.3 billion in federal pandemic relief funding expires, and other costs, like health insurance premiums, soar.
By the numbers: That's all added up to one of the most difficult years on record to negotiate a teacher union contract, according to data from Education Minnesota.
- As of Feb. 13, teachers in 128 districts — nearly 40% of the state — had yet to reach agreements, "the slowest pace of settlements … in 20 years," the union said.
What they're saying: "I don't know where we're going to settle [with our union]," one superintendent recently told Scott Croonquist of the Association of Metro School Districts. "But I can tell you two things will be true: We'll settle for less than our employees deserve, and it'll be more than we can afford."
Zoom in: The Saint Paul Federation of Educators wants salary increases and for the district to cover 80% of employees' health insurance premiums. The union's president Leah VanDassor told Axios those are the biggest sticking points.
- The union wants a $7,500 raise for every teacher in the contract's first year and a 7.5% pay bump in year two. St. Paul Public Schools has offered a 2% or 3% increase in year one, and 1.75% the year after.
Meanwhile, Minneapolis contract talks have also been "very contentious at the bargaining table," said local union leader Greta Callahan, who's still awaiting a counteroffer on her members' main issue: salaries.
Of note: School district leaders in both St. Paul and Minneapolis declined interview requests.
Zoom out: Minnesota increased K-12 funding by $2.2 billion last year, but much of the new money also came with fresh mandates attached, and some of it backfills programs that have been underfunded for years, like special education.
- "The perception of that funding increase and the reality of that funding increase are not really aligned," Croonquist said.
Yes, but: Union leaders often view school districts' deficit forecasts as a negotiating tactic. Education Minnesota president Denise Specht said a lot of districts still "have very healthy fund balances, and they continue to bank money."
- Specht also said many locals believe district administrators are "over-exaggerating" the costs attached to the mandates, such as covering unemployment insurance for certain support staff.
What's next: If St. Paul members vote to approve a strike, the union's executive board would be free to choose any date for a work stoppage — so long as they first give 10 days' notice.
- Minneapolis teachers won't enter state mediation until Feb. 29, meaning the union couldn't escalate to a strike vote until the end of March at the earliest. Callahan hopes that a less-chilly relationship with the new superintendent will help the union avoid taking that step.