St. Paul educators are gearing up for a possible strike after several negotiations with the district for increased pay and additional support for students failed to bear any results. On Feb. 15, two-thirds of the Saint Paul Federation of Educator’s 3,689 members voted on whether to authorize a strike against Saint Paul Public Schools. Over 92 percent voted to strike if there was no agreement between the union and the district.
In an online statement, SPFE President Leah VanDassor touted in a news release the union’s wins in the past decade toward class size limits and student mental health support. She further stated that SPFE’s goal is to build upon their progress to help educators meet the living costs to stay in the district.
State law mandates that the unionized employees and the district bargain every two years. Negotiations between the two began last May, which led to them jointly filing for mediation in December. Since their filing, there have been five mediation sessions between the union and the district, with another session scheduled for Feb. 23.
Need for mental health and special ed support a priority
The union has identified its top priorities as more staff for mental health teams, lowering employee insurance costs, providing additional resources for staff working with students with special needs, and increasing compensation.
Shantella Barnes is the vice president of SPFE and has been an educator for 26 years, working directly with students in special education programs. She said that many students in the district are struggling with issues such as suicidal ideation and homelessness, which underlines the need for more social workers and experts to help students navigate these issues.
“We have a lot of kids struggling with just day-to-day life,” she said. “There’s always something that can help us, and when you don’t have enough support, it makes it difficult.”
Solidarity between teachers and support staff
Although the possible strike focuses on the needs of support staff such as educator assistants and mental health staff, teachers have stood next to their colleagues to advocate for their wage increase. Barnes stated that if educators across the board don’t stand their ground, the district will not see how serious their demands are.
“I’ve been amping up people in our building,” Barnes said. “If the teachers weren’t fighting with us right now, we would be alone. We have people who are supporting one another, so we gotta fight. When we fight, we win.”
Michael Houston, a math teacher at Harding High School and the 2023 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, said that he finds it ironic that the district’s administrators were able to find funding to give themselves a raise but are out of cash when it comes time to discuss teachers’ and support staffs’ wages.
“Over the past several negotiation cycles, they use the same tactic,” he said, “that they don’t have enough funding, that they’re in a deficit. But if you look, ultimately they end up in a surplus.”
Houston stated that support staff go above and beyond for their students by making home visits and riding on the bus to ensure they arrive at school on time. He said that educators have traditionally played a large role outside the classroom as coaches, mentors and advisors to their students’ lives.
In a message to parents, Houston said that advocating for educators will provide a better learning environment for their children. “I want the parents to know that we’re not doing this for selfish gains, but it’s difficult in today’s climate to be a teacher because our kids have many more needs, especially coming back from Covid, than ever before. We’ve lost a lot of good quality teachers because of the demands of the job and what we do daily.”
Next steps in the process
In a February 16 news conference, Erica Schatzlein, an SPFE board member, highlighted the current gulf between the district’s offer and the union’s request. She stated that the union is ready to settle in their meeting if the district makes an acceptable offer. However, the district has asked them to pay for the requested services out of their budget. This includes hiring more mental health staff and those involved with restorative justice work.
“The district has said they set aside $12.4 million to settle our contract, and that’s their small wage offer that they’ve put on the table,” she said. “I do not believe it is right and fair to cost those programs, skills and services that our students need against our contract.”
Schatzlein stated that the information regarding an intent-to-strike notice would be forthcoming when asked if there is a projected start to the strike. The union is required by law to give the district at least 10 days’ notice before the first day of the strike.
Support Black local news
Help amplify Black voices by donating to the MSR. Your contribution enables critical coverage of issues affecting the community and empowers authentic storytelling.