St. Paul teachers overwhelmingly vote yes to authorize another strike
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Ninety-two percent of St. Paul educators voted yes Thursday afternoon to authorize a strike.
The St. Paul Federation of Educators says its members have been working without a contract since July. After months of public negotiation sessions, the union and district jointly filed for mediation in December.
"Our schools are amazing thanks to the hard work and dedication of our staff," SPPS Executive Chief of Human Resources and lead negotiator Pat Pratt-Cook said Friday morning. "It is essential that we settle contracts that allow all of our employees to have the support they need to serve our students and families while ensuring that SPPS has a balanced budget this year and into the future."
One by one, St. Paul educators made their way to the union hall Thursday to cast their vote. 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.
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"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.
Although it's now been 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."
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St. Paul teachers on Wednesday said they were showing up to vote with students on their minds.
"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.
The strike vote announcement came just hours after SPPS Superintendent Dr. Joe Gothard was named the National Superintendent of the Year. Gothard is also a finalist to lead the Madison Metropolitan School District in Wisconsin.
There are two more days of mediation left between educators and the district on the schedule and recent reports indicate they are hoping to reach a deal before opting to strike.
Friday was the first time the union spoke publicly since voting to authorize the strike. "When that divide looks massive it is because our student's needs are massive," said Erica Schatzlein of the St. Paul Federation of Educators.
The union also says they'd like to see trained staff in place to help guide students through solving conflict peacefully. "One really important element of that would be the addition of licensed drug and alcohol counselors into our schools since we have such a large increase in the community of fentanyl and opioid use and that trickles into our schools," said Schatzlein.
As for staff, the union is also asking for higher pay and lower health insurance costs. St. Paul schools say money is the biggest hurdle. The district is facing a budget shortfall of more than $107 million due to years of declining student enrollment, increased operational expenses, and other investments.
"If the district can turn things around and start putting acceptable offers on the table," Schatzlein explained. "We absolutely have time to settle before any strike would occur.
Union officials say they are looking forward to their next mediation with the district one week from Friday.