Minneapolis public school employees vote to authorize strike

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(The Center Square) – Less than a day after authorizing a strike, hundreds of Minneapolis teachers demonstrated outside the district office.

Teachers rallied for higher pay, smaller class sizes, and what they called fair pay for adult educators, while the Minneapolis Public School District says it has already met most of the union’s demands and remains hopeful.

Talks are scheduled to resume Thursday.

“Minneapolis Public Schools understands that the Minneapolis Federation of Educators union members passed a strike vote; however, MFE has not yet filed an intent to strike,” the district said in a statement to The Center Square. "The district remains hopeful that a student-centered and fair agreement can be reached and looks forward to the next scheduled bargaining session."

Seven months of talks have produced little headway, despite the district’s Oct. 8 contract proposal, which it says addresses many of the union’s priorities.

“During each bargaining cycle, the district has bargaining priorities which include prioritizing resources for staff who have the lowest wages,” the district said in a statement. "That is represented in the proposals passed to MFE. The district has a total of 14 bargaining groups and must allocate resources in a way that makes working for MPS competitive and fair as we seek to both attract and retain the best staff."

The district says it has accepted the union’s offer of lower classes, but says space is limited at Barton, Emerson, Green Central, Justice Page and Northrop. Reducing sizes to the level the union wants would force students to move schools.

The district also says that meeting the class size demand would push Anthony, Dowling, Howe, Kenwood, Loring and Washburn schools to their limits.

The union also wants a 6% pay increase for adult educators over two years.

The district also said if it agrees to a partial caseload proposal from only one chapter the cost would be around $72 million and lead to significant staff reductions and elimination of some programs and services.

In a social media video, teacher chapter president Marcia Howard said support workers also want higher wages and vocational accrual benefits.

Overall, 92% of voters approved the strike authorization.

“I know that nobody wants a strike but after seven months of bargaining all we got were delays and dismissals and not solutions from the districts,” Howard said in the video. "This is the last chance for us to get the contract we need to create a destination district."

The Minneapolis Public School District is the third-largest in Minnesota, with more than 30,000 students.