Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) has reached an agreement with its teachers’ union, ending a strike that has left over 29,000 students out of school for 14 days.
District officials announced on Friday that the tentative agreement with Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT), pending a membership vote, will allow students to return to classrooms next week starting Monday, March 28.
“This has been a life-changing experience for all of us. Through it all, we have seen the power and passion of our community, the commitment of our staff and the intense need to focus on our students,” MPS Superintendent Ed Graff wrote. “I believe MPS and MFT have arrived at a fair and equitable agreement that honors the requests and needs of our staff.”
The strike has cost 14 days of classes for students who have already suffered from pandemic school closures. The district said it may make up the missed days by using record keeping days as student contact days, adding minutes to the school day, or extending the end of the school year.
The MTF didn’t immediately reveal the exact terms it has agreed upon, but said it has achieved “major gains” and promised to release more details later Friday.
This was the first time in 50 years Minneapolis teachers went on strike. The union said its members wanted higher pay, smaller class sizes, and other concessions from the school district. The main sticking point, however, was the pay for educational support professionals, or ESPs.
The average starting salary for ESPs in Minneapolis is about $24,000 each year, and the union demands that be increased to $35,000. In response, the MPS proposed a 15.6 percent salary increases on average over two years and a $3.5 million investment to cover additional hours, saying that it would bring most of the full-time ESPs close to an annual pay of $35,000.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat and former teacher, applauded the news and praised the state Bureau of Mediation Services for working with the district and union.
“Now, the legislature must pass my budget that includes $2.5 billion for our public schools,” Walz wrote on Twitter. State leaders found last month that they have a projected $9.25 billion budget surplus, and Walz called for spending more on social projects, including public education.
Meanwhile, in neighboring St. Paul, the St. Paul Federation of Educators overwhelmingly voted to join the picket line alongside their Minneapolis counterparts. However, the union managed to reach a midnight deal with its school district, effectively preventing the walkout scheduled for March 8.
