26 February 2024
St. Paul’s teachers union is filing to strike after months of negotiations with the school district failed to produce a new two-year contract.
The St. Paul Federation of Educators on Monday announced their date for a potential walk-off after a majority of members approved the move earlier this month. If they can’t reach a deal with St. Paul Public Schools, the strike will begin on Monday, March 11.
“We do not take this decision to strike lightly,” union president Leah VanDassor said in a news release. “But we feel it’s a necessary one to keep our educators in Saint Paul Public Schools through strong wages and affordable insurance, and to continue to build the schools our students and their families deserve.”
VanDassor added the union bargaining team was doing “everything in its power” to settle with the district before the 3,700 teachers and nonlicensed staff represented by the union go on strike.
While a strike is not inevitable, officials with St. Paul Public Schools are already preparing.
It’s the fourth consecutive two-year bargaining cycle in a row where St. Paul teachers have threatened to strike. The union went on strike for four days in 2020 and almost went on strike in 2018 and 2022.
What happens if teachers strike?
If it happens, there will be no school for students in pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade, early childhood special education and early childhood family education. Varsity athletics would continue on a “case-by-case basis” and all youth and community education classes would be canceled.
There’s also a chance the school year could be extended into spring break or summer, SPPS said.
District human resources chief Pat Pratt-Cook said school officials were disappointed to learn the union had decided to strike after five days of mediation and months of negotiations.
“We want to assure the community that the Saint Paul Public Schools bargaining team is working tirelessly to continue contract talks and reach an agreement that values our educators while ensuring the financial stability of our district over the long term,” Pratt-Cook said.
District, union positions
The district says it’s in a tough spot because of an expected $107.7 million budget shortfall driven by factors including declining enrollment, the expiration of federal pandemic aid and growing operational expenses.
District officials estimate union requests could top $112 million, and the district said it was willing to allocate only $12.4 million in additional funding. The sides requested a mediator in December, and talks have been behind closed doors since.
Some of the main disagreements include wages, health insurance, and mental health staffing.
Early union proposals include a $7,500 pay bump for all teachers and community service personnel in the district, as well as a 7.5% raise in the second year. They’re also asking for a $5.43-an-hour raise for educational assistants followed by a 7.5% raise in the second year. District offers have been significantly below that.
Besides wage increases and insurance policy changes, teachers want more funding for student mental health support services and more support for restorative practices — a shift away from traditional discipline like suspensions and moving toward an emphasis on community-building.
Union leaders say SPPS should have more wiggle room since state lawmakers last year approved $56 million in ongoing funding from the state tied to inflation — though the district says there are many requirements dictating how it must be spent.
Previous strike votes
Despite what leaders said was progress in recent talks, St. Paul educators took their first big step toward a strike with the authorization vote. Two-thirds of the union’s 3,700 members voted, with 92% supporting the strike — far higher than the last two strike-authorization votes.
In 2022, 78% of union members approved a strike. That year, educators came within minutes of striking. In 2020, 82% of members voted yes and teachers went on strike for four days — the first time they had walked off the job since 1946.
There’s more time for the sides to negotiate.
Once the union files an intent to strike, it triggers a 10-day cooloff period mandated by state law. There’s another closed-door mediation session scheduled between the union and the school district on Friday.
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