After months without contracts, area teachers and districts are reaching agreement

BEMIDJI — Nearly nine months after the last contracts ended, educators and school districts in Northern Minnesota are making progress with contract settlements.

Members of the Bemidji Education Association announced a tentative agreement on the new two-year contract, which would expire around July 2025. The BEA will meet April 11 to consider ratifying their agreement, according to the Bemidji Pioneer.

Relations between the union and district in Bemidji have been tense at times, with educators regularly picketing outside schools and the district office and appearing at School Board meetings. Disagreement over whether union-related activity like handing out flyers was permitted on school grounds landed the BEA and the district in court in January. A district court judge first issued an injunction against the school district to stop preventing the informational pickets and then shortly after, reversed his decision.

Education Minnesota said in January that fewer districts and teacher unions settled outside of mediation this school year than other contract negotiation years.

"Two years ago, we were looking at about half of [the contract negotiations] settled, and four years ago, we were looking at about two-thirds settled," said Denise Specht, Education Minnesota president, in an earlier KAXE interview. “In terms of numbers and pace, if it feels like it's slower, it is.”

Those contract disputes have reached their end in several Northern Minnesota districts, however.

Educators in Deer River also accepted a tentative agreement, which will go before the Deer River School Board on April 8.

Over the last two months, agreements have also come for teachers and school districts in Brainerd, Pine River-Backus, Cass Lake, Hill City and Mahnomen — all of which started 2024 without contracts.