Community organizing, solidarity play key roles in Minneapolis ESP contract wins
After working for over 300 days without a contract, the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers ESP chapter finally reached a tentative agreement with the district in early May, which bargaining team members described as “the best contract in 25 years.”
One of the biggest wins for the chapter is the reintroduction of automatic step increases, which were removed from the contract years ago. Starting in July of this year, eligible members recovered two steps on the salary schedule. In January, they will move up another step.
“We have been fighting for a decade to get automatic step increases back in our contract,” said Catina Taylor, president of the MFT ESP chapter. “This will help retain folks that plan on working in the district for years to come.”
In addition to automatic step movement, the new contract also includes:
• Longevity pay for employees between 10 and 40 years of service.
• A 4% cost of living increase for this year and a 6% cost of living increase starting in January.
• Religious and cultural observance days, so that employees do not have to use vacation, sick or comp time for religious or cultural observances.
• Sick time accrual for all hours worked, including overtime, bus aide hours and summer school hours.
Taylor said there were several factors that contributed to this successful contract. One factor was changing the relationship with the district. “New district leadership came in and they were willing to listen more and start to break the status quo,” Taylor said.
The biggest factor, however, was community organizing and support.
Before starting any community organizing work, the bargaining team made sure that members understood the power of solidarity and that they were fully committed to effective, long-term community organizing through sharing information and building relationships with the public.
The main organizing goal was to make sure the community understood the bargaining process and knew what the local was fighting for. “In all our communications, we emphasized that we weren’t just asking for benefits for ourselves but for students as well,” said Taylor. “Every single person in this job is doing it for the kids.” Connecting their bargaining goals with student welfare showed parents and allies why supporting the union was important.
To accomplish this, MFT ESPs hosted informational picketing at targeted schools. As neighbors came up and asked about the picketing, members shared their stories and talked about why contract negotiations were important. The local began their community outreach in the spring of 2023, which provided ample time to build relationships with parents and community members.
“Eventually, we had neighbors bringing snacks and water and joining the picket line with MFT ESP members,” Taylor said.
The local also sought help from other organizations around the city. They drafted a letter outlining major issues facing the district that also tied into bargaining goals—shrinking budgets, decreased enrollment, educator turnover due to noncompetitive wages— which they invited these organizations to sign. The letter was eventually signed by more than 100 community organizations, including fellow labor unions, neighborhood associations, student groups, churches, nonprofits, advocacy groups and more.
Building up that community support allowed the local to bargain boldly and win a strong contract for members—and, Taylor says, they have the infrastructure in place to build on these wins during the next round of negotiations. “I’m hoping that we can come back to the table and put the things we couldn’t get at the forefront, such as health care,” Taylor said.
