Minneapolis teachers strike after failing to reach contract

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Teachers in the Minneapolis School District walked off the job on Tuesday in a dispute over wages, class sizes and mental health support for students coping with two years of the coronavirus pandemic, at least temporarily pausing classes for about 29,000 students in one of Minnesota's largest school districts.

Union members said they could not reach agreement on wages, especially a "living wage" for education support professionals, as well as caps on class sizes and more mental health services for students.

"We are on strike for safe and stable schools, we're on strike for systemic change, we're on strike for our students, the future of our city and the future of Minneapolis public schools," Greta Cunningham, president of the teachers' chapter of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers, said Tuesday outside a south Minneapolis elementary school where more than 100 union members and supporters launched a morning picket line in freezing weather.

The school district called the news disappointing but pledged to keep negotiating. Callahan said the union was also willing to resume bargaining, but no talks were scheduled.

Teachers in the neighboring St. Paul School District, with about 34,000 students, announced a tentative agreement late Monday night to avert a strike that had also been scheduled to start Tuesday.

Union officials in both cities said the issues were largely the same. The St. Paul teachers union said their tentative agreement — subject to approval by members — includes maintaining caps on class sizes, increased mental health supports and pay increases.

"This agreement could have been reached much earlier. It shouldn't have taken a strike vote, but we got there," local union President Leah VanDassor said in an announcement of the deal.

St. Paul Superintendent Joe Gothard said the agreements were fair while working within the district's budget limitations.

State mediators facilitated the negotiations between administrators and union leaders in both districts.

National labor leaders say teachers and support staff across the country are experiencing the same sorts of overload and burnout challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but no other large districts were on the verge of a strike. School district officials have said they're already facing budget shortfalls due to enrollment losses stemming from the pandemic and can't spend money they don't have.