Minneapolis public school deal reached to avert strike

Minneapolis Public Schools and the union representing teachers and support professionals have reached a tentative contract agreement, avoiding a strike authorization vote that had been scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

The news of the agreement between the district and the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers came early Thursday after a long bargaining session that started Wednesday night.

“As we keep our students at the center, we worked together to reach an agreement that honors the hard work of our licensed staff and recognizes our budgetary constraints. We look forward to continued partnership,” Superintendent Dr. Lisa Sayles-Adams said in a statement.

No details of the agreement were released and they won’t be until union membership ratifies the deal, the statement from the district said.

Union members were seeking higher wages.

Teachers had been working for nearly a year after the most recent contract expired. Teachers and support staff last went on strike in 2022 when they walked off the job for three weeks.

“We worked together collaboratively in service to the students of Minneapolis Public Schools and reached an agreement that we are both proud of,” union President Greta Callahan in a statement. “Our time today was incredibly productive, and we believe it is a new day for MPS.”