Minneapolis teachers reach tentative agreement

Roughly 29,000 students have been spending weekdays at home or in churches, Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCAs, and park buildings since Minneapolis teachers went on strike March 8. It began with a disagreement between the teachers’ union and the school district over a living wage for support professionals, smaller class sizes, and COVID-19 policies. Superintendent Ed Graff said the new contracts with teachers and support staff will require budget adjustments because the district does not have enough funding to meet all the demands. Teachers approved the deal on Sunday, and classes are expected to resume Tuesday.

Is this happening elsewhere? In Sacramento, Calif., unions representing about 4,600 teachers and employees have been picketing since Wednesday over pay and staffing shortages. The Sacramento City Unified School District has canceled classes at 76 schools, affecting 43,000 students. Experts say more unions might strike as other districts seize the opportunity of a labor shortage to pressure employers for more benefits.

Dig deeper: Listen to Lauren Dunn’s report in The World and Everything in It on how teachers are in short supply.