HIBBING — Hibbing School District support staff voted to authorize a strike, the union announced Thursday, March 19.
The strike will begin Tuesday unless the School Board votes on a tentative agreement on Monday, as the union says the two sides agreed. In a news release, Acting Superintendent Carrie McDonald said there was a misunderstanding during mediation.
The district and AFSCME Local 480 — which represents 115 secretaries, custodians and other support workers — met in mediation for 16 hours Tuesday. According to a news release from the union, they reached a tentative agreement and both sides agreed to vote on it Monday.
“The District changed their position and is now refusing to vote on the TA before March 30th,” the release stated. “This would, purposefully, push Local 480 out of their strike window, losing their leverage in the fight for a fair contract.”
The two parties were in separate rooms communicating through a mediator, according to McDonald, and there was “a misunderstanding when the District’s position on a timing issue was relayed to Local 480’s team.”
The district offered no further comment.
The union filed an intent to strike in late February but agreed in early March to postpone a strike vote until after the Tuesday mediation session.
The School Board met for a special meeting Wednesday and approved a final offer that would include a 1% salary increase for the next school year and other scheduling and benefit terms, according to the Mesabi Tribune.
Board members unanimously denied a tentative agreement in early March.
According to the union, workers voted on and accepted a contract in December 2025 after negotiations in October. But the union said after leadership changes in the district, the school refused to recognize the contract.
