Minneapolis Educators Set To Enter 2nd Week Of Strike
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Minneapolis Public School educators strike is about to enter its second week.
School board members said Sunday night they're committed to reaching an agreement.
"We wish we had the resources to provide everything that is being asked for, for the sake of our students and teachers, but we simply don't," said board clerk Nelson Inz.
The strike has put Theresa Stets in a bind. She's a science teacher at a charter school, so she hasn't been able to be home with her three children who are MPS students. They'll miss their fifth school day Monday.
"It's a real hardship," Stets said. "My kids want to be in school and I want them to be in school."
MPS teachers and education support professionals are on strike for living wages and competitive salaries, class size caps and mental health resources.
Leaders with the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT) say the fundamental difference between the two sides in negotiations has been whether an agreement will be on a temporary basis or written into a contract.
"Once it's in a contract, both parties need to agree to take it out, and that's what's really important," said Shaun Laden, the president of the ESP chapter of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers. "If there's a memorandum of agreement that's temporary and it expires, that means both parties need to agree to continue with that language."
The school board says it's agreed to class size caps at some schools in contract language. Union leaders say if MPS offers contract language on the rest, they're not that far apart on the issues. The latest proposals on the district website show that the two sides are tens of millions of dollars apart on salaries. The union disputes that representation.
"The gap really isn't that big," said Greta Callahan, president of the teacher chapter of MFT. "Our sticking point has not been salary right now. That's not where we're standing and that's what they want to make it about."
On Sunday, the board again referenced its budget shortfall, and blamed the state for lack of funding.
"Unfortunately we have reached our financial limit," said board treasurer Kimberly Caprini. "Any further permanent spending would not be responsible."
Board members also pointed to Minnesota's surplus money as a potential savior. Stets feels the same way.
"There's no reason that we have to have the budget problems of MPS land on our lowest paid people and say there's no other options," she said.
MFT officials say negotiators from the school district didn't even show up to meet with them Sunday. Superintendent Ed Graff and the board members left Sunday's press conference without taking questions.