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Minneapolis teachers and district leaders are meeting Tuesday afternoon in their last scheduled mediation session to either reach a settlement or the union will begin the process of going on strike. Tuesday’s talks marked the seventh closed-doors session between the district and the union since bargaining began in April — earlier in the process than usual — and carried with it suddenly higher stakes. Minneapolis Federation of Educators leaders, citing a lack of progress on provisions relating to class sizes, special-education caseloads and pay, said last week that the union would conduct a strike authorization vote beginning Thursday if an agreement was not reached Tuesday. If the rank-and-file were to then give permission to strike, MFE leaders could call for a walkout to begin in November. State law requires a 10-day waiting period during which the two sides continue to negotiate. The two sides are negotiating separate contracts for teachers and for education support professionals (ESPs) — who, for example, assist teachers by working closely with special-education students. Here’s what the two sides have said: Last week, the district said it recently proposed a “significant investment to reduce class sizes,” but declined to give specifics, citing the confidentiality of the mediation process. The union has argued that the district is exploiting loopholes in contract language governing class-size caps. The ESPs are seeking wage increases and steadier hours. Teachers and other licensed staff members are pursuing pay increases of 7% in 2025-26 and 6% in 2026-27. In April 2024, district and union negotiators reached an agreement on a previous contract giving teachers their highest pay increase in 25 years. That deal expired on June 30. The district currently faces a projected shortfall of at least $25 million in 2026-27, according to a school board presentation in June. Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune After six months of negotiations, the district and teachers union are meeting Tuesday in a mediation session in an effort to avoid plans for a strike.
