AFT’s Weingarten Congratulates St. Paul Teachers on Tentative Contract Agreement

ST. PAUL, Minn.—AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement after the Saint Paul Federation of Educators reached a tentative contract agreement with Saint Paul Public Schools Friday morning. The full SPFE membership will conduct a ratification vote on the agreement at a later date. 

“St. Paul educators stood up for their kids—in the middle of a pandemic—to fund our future and get them the support they deserve. The district decided to play politics, but the educators would not be cowed. By striking, they achieved more social workers, nurses, intervention specialists, restorative practices, substitute teachers, wage increases and manageable workloads. At the same time, educators recognized the coronavirus was an urgent crisis that we must fight together.

“The teacher walkouts across this country over the last two years have captured the nation’s imagination because people recognize that educators are fighting for the investment their kids’ sorely need. I am so proud that St. Paul educators rose up to fight for the services children depend on. While there is still more to be won, this agreement puts them on an elevated footing to bargain with politicians, the district and the state of Minnesota for the common good. They won’t stop until they can provide every student with the resources needed to succeed and thrive.”