St. Paul teachers set March 11 strike date as union continues contract talks
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Teachers in St. Paul Public Schools have announced they will go on strike on March 11 if they haven't yet reached a deal for a contract with district administrators.
Why it matters: A strike would cancel classes for 33,000 students in Minnesota's second-largest school system for the second time in four years.
State of play: State-led mediation in recent weeks has yielded some progress toward a new contract, said St. Paul teachers union president Leah VanDassor — but she was hopeful that setting a strike date could "speed things up."
What they're saying: "The ball is in their court to do the next right thing," VanDassor said. Setting a strike date "is us pushing them to do that," she said.
The other side: The district was "disappointed" by the move, human resources chief Pat Pratt-Crook said.
- Pratt-Cook said administrators will continue negotiating toward an agreement that "values our educators while ensuring the financial stability of our district over the long term."
Friction points: Pay remains a key bone of contention, though both the union and the district declined to get into specifics of their latest proposals.
- VanDassor says the union has come closer to the district's salary numbers.
- The district's latest mediation update says the union's most recent offer "demonstrates a willingness to negotiate and reach an agreement," but would still exacerbate a projected $107 million budget shortfall.
- Earlier this month, VanDassor said the union wanted the district to commit to covering a fixed percentage of employees' health coverage costs. On Monday, she confirmed benefits are among the issues in negotiations.
Go deeper: Thousands of Minnesota union members make plans for simultaneous early March strikes