St. Paul School District prepares for possible teacher strike as negotiations continue
(KMSP) - St. Paul public school teachers could be going on strike on Tuesday.
In an effort to avert the teachers’ strike, negotiations continued over the weekend and are scheduled through Monday. However, the union said that unless an agreement is reached teachers will go on strike starting Tuesday.
Teachers are asking for better wages, smaller class sizes and more attention to special education programs.
There are approximately 3,200 teachers and nearly 37,000 students in the St. Paul School District.
The district seeks to hold new spending to $2 million annually, the Associated Press reported. The union’s wide-ranging proposals asking for smaller class sizes and increased staffing among other things, would cost $159 million over two years.
The union proposed pay increases of 2.5 percent this year and next, while the district offered 1 percent.
St. Paul teachers last went on strike in 1946.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.