St. Paul Teachers Vote to Support Strike Authorization Request
St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News) - Teachers in one of Minnesota's largest school districts have authorized their union leaders to call a strike.
The St. Paul Federation of Educators says more than 92% of the union members who participated in the strike authorization vote on Thursday voted in favor of the resolution. The union says about two-thirds of the nearly 3700 St. Paul teachers it represents participated in the strike authorization vote.
A news release issued by the union says, "Over the past decade, we have come together as a union and with our community to win improvements for our schools like class size limits, restorative practices, dual language immersion programs and student mental health supports. Now is the time to continue to protect these provisions of our contract. Our students need these supports and they need their educators to be able to afford to stay in this district. In a year of historic funding for public schools, it is also the time to secure a meaningful wage increase and other benefits for our educators."
Under state law, the union must give the St. Paul School District a minimum of 10 days notice before actually calling for a strike. St. Paul teachers held a three-day strike in the spring of 2020.
The two sides are still engaged in negotiations. According to the news release, the next bargaining session between the St. Paul School District and the Federation of Educators is scheduled for February 23.
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