Educators at Minneapolis Public Schools are preparing to vote on whether to authorize a strike after another round of contract negotiations ended without an agreement. Talks between the district and the Minneapolis Federation of Educators stretched late into Tuesday night, lasting about 15 hours, but ended with little progress. Union leaders said the district failed to offer real solutions to the ongoing challenges faced by teachers, students, and families.
Marcia Howard, president of the Minneapolis Federation of Educators’ teacher chapter, said on Wednesday that the outcome of the mediation session was disappointing. “After a 15-hour mediation session and publicly expressing a willingness to settle, the district offered no meaningful solutions to the problems facing students, families, and educators,” she said. Despite the frustration, Howard emphasized that the union remains committed to reaching a fair deal.
Union members will begin voting on Thursday to decide whether to give their leadership the power to call a strike. The voting period will continue through Monday. A “yes” vote would not immediately lead to a strike but would authorize union leaders to call one if necessary. If they do decide to move forward, they are legally required to give the district at least ten days’ notice before any work stoppage begins.
Negotiations between Minneapolis Public Schools and the union have been ongoing since April, but educators say the talks have stalled. The main issues on the table include higher pay, additional special education staff, and limits on class sizes. Teachers and support professionals argue that these changes are essential to improve working conditions and the quality of education for students. Union leaders had previously warned that they would hold a strike authorization vote if this week’s mediation session did not result in progress on these key issues.
In the meantime, discussions are expected to continue. Another mediation session between the district and the union has already been scheduled for next week. Both sides say they want to avoid a strike, but their positions remain far apart.
Minneapolis Public Schools said in a statement last week that they have proposed contract offers that align with many of the union’s demands. However, district officials stressed that budget limits are a major barrier to meeting all of the union’s requests. “While the district’s budget is tighter than ever due to the historic underfunding of public education and expenses outpacing our revenue, we hope to reach an agreement that is fair, student-centered, and ensures the district can thrive even if there are state and federal funding cuts,” the statement read.
The district’s financial strain has been a recurring issue in past negotiations. School officials say that rising costs and limited funding have made it difficult to increase salaries or expand staffing, even as educators struggle with growing workloads and classroom challenges. Union members, however, argue that underfunding cannot continue to be used as an excuse for poor working conditions and overcrowded classrooms.
As both sides prepare for another round of talks, the threat of a strike looms over Minneapolis Public Schools. If a strike is called, it would disrupt classes for thousands of students and add more pressure on the district to reach a deal. Educators say they hope to avoid that outcome but are ready to take action if their demands for fair compensation and better support in classrooms are not met.
