ST. PAUL, Minn. — Members of the St. Paul Federation of Educators vote Thursday afternoon on whether to authorize a strike. Educators have been working without a contract since July. After months of public negotiation sessions, the union and district jointly filed for mediation in December.
One by one, St. Paul educators made their way to the union hall to cast their vote on whether to authorize a strike against their employer. The union that represents teachers, educational assistants, and school and community service professionals hopes mediation will bring about the changes they want to see in the classroom.
“There are so many more mental health needs. There are so many emotional needs that are not being met by society right now, and it falls on a lot of the schools to take care of that and how is that going to happen,” Leah Vandassor, president of the St. Paul Federation of Educators, said.
The union went on strike in 2020, and barely avoided a strike in 2022. Now, two years later, educators want more help for students, increased wages and lower health insurance costs.
“It’s kind of like a false choice: you can have more money or you can have more items in your classrooms. And it seems like the right thing to do is listen to educators for what’s needed,” Vandassor said.
If a strike is authorized it doesn’t mean it will happen. The union would need to decide if it is necessary, set a date and notify the district. Both sides have been in mediation for the past two days.
In a statement, the district says, “These two days have been productive and continue to move closer to settling new contracts for all three of the union’s bargaining groups. Regardless of the outcome of the vote, we will continue to negotiate in good faith in an effort to reach a fair and financially sound agreement.”
St. Paul teachers say they’re showing up to vote with students on their mind.
“Having to make sure that the students have the support they need not just from teachers but from EAs and paraprofessionals, and things like that, it’s vital we can’t do this alone,” teacher Michael Youle said.
Results from the strike authorization vote will be announced Friday morning. Two more days of mediation between educators and the district are scheduled for later this month.
- In:
- St. Paul
- Teachers’ Strike
