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Update: April 18

Update: April 18

April 18 was the last public bargaining session. The first mediation session with the ESP chapter was April 22. Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) and the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT) - ESP chapter are continuing contract negotiations through mediation. During mediation, a neutral third party assists both sides in reaching an agreement.
 
These sessions are closed to the public and are scheduled by the Bureau of Mediation Services. The next mediation session is scheduled for May 1. 

At the last public session on April 18 ESPs presented two Memorandum of Agreements (MOA). 

  • Establishment of an Environmental Working Group: This group would address concerns of how environmental issues may affect student learning. 
  • Establishment of an Enrollment Working Group: This group would address declining enrollment concerns. 

ESPs responded to the following MPS proposals: 

  1. (3.9.2) Probationary period: ESPs agree with the addition of language around the number of probationary days for voluntary transfer. 
  2. ESPs decline. 
  3. ESPs accept with addition of some language to be discussed in mediation.
  4. ESPs accept this proposal. 
  5. ESPs accept this proposal 
  6. Removal of language around chemical dependency: ESPs declined proposal of removal of this language. MPS clarified that the intention of removal of this language is for an employee to be able to access sick leave for chemical dependency similar to any other illness and is not legal as currently written. 
  7. ESPs accept with corrected numbers.
  8. ESPs accept this proposal.
  9. ESPs accept with the addition of some language to discuss during mediation.  

ESPs presented the following counter proposals: 

  1. Rights and obligations - Access to bargaining Unit and Information: ESPs maintain their original proposal. 
  2. Longevity Pay: This proposal replaces a previous version presented by ESPs and accepted by MPS. The counterproposal increases hourly rate by $2 for employees in year 10 and every five years thereafter independently of the wage schedule. Any employee with 10+ years of service will receive an adjustment to step 6 if they have not already reached this step. 
  3. Salary schedule: ESPs presented the salary schedule below reflecting an increase of approximately 15% in year one and 10% in year two. These percentages may be higher for some groups. 
    Salary 2024
    Salary 2025
  4. Step movement: ESPs propose annual automatic step movement effective July 1 and retroactive for current employees to a step equivalent to their years in MPS. 
  5. Health Insurance - Group Insurance Benefits: ESPs presented a tiered health insurance payment plan based on annual income, with the lowest paid members getting the highest contributions (up to 100%), HSA contributions and options for employee only, employee +1 and family coverage.  
  6. Elimination of group D and group movement: ESPs propose to eliminate group D and move occupational therapist assistants, speech therapy assistants and physical therapy assistants to group A.   
  7. Hours/days and Special Education: ESPs will respond to this proposal at a future date. 
  8. Vacation Accrual: ESPs maintain their original proposal of vacation accrual and are agreeable to the language clean up proposed. 
  9. Accrual over Summer School: ESPs request a sidebar conversation about this proposal. 
  10. Holiday Equity: ESPs propose to add Yom Kippur, Eid al-Fitr and Rosh Hashanah as paid holidays as they are no school days. MPS clarified it is not legal for an employer to give holiday pay to employees during federal holidays. MPS is open to talking more about floating holidays and use of leave for religious observances. 
  11. Refer to ESP response to district proposal 9.
  12. Early Childhood Family Education Reduction in Force: ESPs would like to remove the cap of work hours but would like to keep the language requiring a minimum of 20 hours. 
  13. Group Insurance Benefits: ESPs withdraw proposals 13 and 14. 

April 18 was the last public bargaining session. The first mediation session with the ESP chapter was April 22. Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) and the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT) - ESP chapter are continuing contract negotiations through mediation. During mediation, a neutral third party assists both sides in reaching an agreement.
 
These sessions are closed to the public and are scheduled by the Bureau of Mediation Services. The next mediation session is scheduled for May 1.