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Minneapolis teachers strike vote
Teachers within Minneapolis Public Schools are voting on a potential strike over new contracts. FOX 9’s Mike Manzoni has the latest.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minneapolis teachers on Friday continued voting on whether to authorize a strike after negotiations with the school district stalled earlier in the week after seven months of negotiations.
‘We will do everything it takes’: Teachers hope to reach agreement, avert strike
What they're saying:
"We take the deficit with a bit of a grain of salt. We would expect for some variation, obviously, between projections and outcomes," lead negotiator Lizz Done told FOX 9. "Our goal is to settle our contract. We will do everything it takes. If we need to be in mediation all night, we're going to be there. Our goal is not to go on strike. Our goal is to settle the best contract for our students and our staff...."
The backstory:
The district said it faces a $75 million budget shortfall this school year, in part because of the end of pandemic-era federal funding and declining enrollment.
The union said the district could afford to meet its demands, but needs to prioritize how it spends its money.
For example, the union said salaries for district leaders have shot up more than 30% and noted that the district spends too much money on outside contracts.
Minneapolis Public Schools says both sides "aligned on values"
The statement:
In a statement, the school district said, in part: "Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) and the Minneapolis Federation of Educators (MFE) are aligned on values, and we share the same primary goals for our contracts as we support our students and staff. MPS is committed to quickly reaching an agreement with MFE that works within available resources and prepares the district to navigate anticipated revenue reductions in the coming years."
Demands over wages, class sizes
Strike history:
The most recent strike happened in 2022 and lasted for 18 days, with students missing 14 days of class. (Both sides narrowly averted a strike in 2024.)
Prior to 2022, the last strike happened in 1970. At the time, teachers also demanded better pay and smaller class sizes.
Teachers, district plan to meet again
What's next:
The union could vote to authorize a strike as early as Monday night, but that does not mean a strike would begin immediately. The union would have to give the district 10 days’ notice. Both sides plan to meet again on Thursday.