Anoka-Hennepin strike looms as school district, teachers still at odds

Thousands of teachers in Minnesota’s largest school district could go on strike as early as Jan. 8 if no deal is reached after months of contract negotiations with the district.

Negotiators for the Anoka-Hennepin School District and its teachers union remained in mediation Jan. 6 with a potential strike still looming, which would lead to canceling classes and suspending activities and athletics.

The union representing more than 3,000 educators — Anoka Hennepin Education Minnesota (AHEM) — filed a notice of intent to strike on Dec. 22 after members voted overwhelmingly to authorize a walkout if negotiations fail.

The first possible day for a strike would be Jan. 8, following the required 10-day “cooling-off” period overseen by the Minnesota Bureau of Mediation Services.

Both sides have been in discussions for months to update a contract that expired at the end of June. Central issues include salary increases and rising health insurance premiums that teachers say erode their take-home pay and make it harder to retain experienced educators.

On its website, the union outlines why educators are preparing to strike, saying they are “being asked to absorb steep increases in health insurance or forgo meaningful salary growth.”

The district has also been providing information for families and community members on its negotiations page, which includes answers to frequently asked questions about the mediation process, what happens next and how schools would operate if a strike occurs.

On the district website, officials pushed back against the idea that rising health care costs mean teachers are essentially taking a pay cut. The proposed increases before mediation were “aligned with recent negotiated agreements reached with other employee groups” in the district, the statement read.

In other answers to "frequently asked questions," the district clarified that no instruction will be offered during a strike and activities and athletics will be suspended. Breakfast and lunch will be available for all students and limited child care spots will be available for families with students already enrolled in the Adventures Plus before- and after-school child care program.