Twin Cities teachers rally on Saturday with votes on strikes set for next week
Twin Cities teachers rally ahead of strike votes next week. (FOX 9)
(FOX 9) - Teachers in both Minneapolis and St. Paul rallied on Saturday, as votes on strikes for each union loom.
Minneapolis teachers are set to start voting on Monday on whether to authorize a strike while St. Paul teachers will hold a vote on Thursday. On Saturday, more than a thousand educators and supporters gathered at Minnehaha Regional Park and marched over the Ford Parkway Bridge into St. Paul for a rally.
The Minneapolis Federation of Teachers says safety in school is a priority for them, and they don't feel the district is doing enough. They want to see smaller class sizes, the district taking steps to retain teachers of color, and designating some teachers to work remotely with students who can't attend class due to COVID-19 issues.
In St. Paul, teachers are also seeking smaller class sizes along with adding educators to help students with disabilities and providing better wages for educational assistants.
If strikes are authorized next week, it won't necessarily mean a halt for classes. In Minneapolis, the Federation of Teachers says teachers would only go on strike if they determined it was necessary and even then they would first notify the district before going on strike.