Thousands of educators and school staff with the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers and Educational Support Professionals (MFT) Local 59 have been out on strike since March 8, fighting for “Safe and Stable Schools”, and brilliantly standing on the picket lines every day in the cold and in mass rallies throughout the city.

But Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) has been digging their heels in at the bargaining table. They claim they don’t have the money to meet MFT’s demands for pay equity for the union’s lowest paid workers, for mental health services, raises for educators who have gone without one for close to 20 years, and policies to support and retain educators of color. MPS currently has the funds on hand today to settle their contract with $261 million in Covid relief money, but there is still a long-term funding gap that the state must fix with its over $9 billion surplus.

MPS administrators and the School Board have said that schools don't receive enough funding from the state. We agree!

We, the undersigned, stand with MFT Local 59 and demand Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Governor Tim Walz, a former teacher himself, put the money where his mouth is and use the over $9 billion state budget surplus to fund Minneapolis Public Schools. It’s obvious the money is there! Now we need to see the political will to do what is needed to put students, educators, and their families first!