St. Paul teachers, schools end negotiations for weekend but will pick up on Monday
Updated 5:36 p.m.
After nearly 40 hours of mediation talks this weekend, the St. Paul Public Schools and the union representing teachers failed to reach an agreement on a new contract.
The school district said there was “meaningful progress,” but didn’t provide details.
Officials with the St. Paul Federation of Educators, the union which represents teachers, were less optimistic, writing in a statement, “Our union thought we were making meaningful progress toward an agreement. However, those many hours of discussions have yet to produce a path to settlement.”
The two sides are scheduled to talk again on Monday.
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“We remain committed to reaching an agreement and avoiding a strike that would begin on Monday, March 11,” a statement released from the school district said.
Middle school teacher Ellen Carter spoke at a rally Saturday, which was attended by more than 100 workers from multiple unions.
“We are fighting for dignified work with wage increases that meet this cost-of-living crisis and reflect and respect the work that we do every single day,” Carter said.
Carter says teachers are pushing for more mental health resources, green initiatives and support for special needs and multilingual students.
Besides canceled classes, district leaders have also warned that a strike might require extending the school year and that high school students may struggle to earn enough credits for graduation.