Hibbing School District, support staff union approve new contract

HIBBING — The Hibbing School Board and AFSCME Local 480 both approved a contract agreement Monday, March 30, ending months of back-and-forth that nearly resulted in a strike.

The Board unanimously approved the contract after it voted to close Greenhaven Elementary. The union, which represents 115 secretaries, custodians, pupil support assistants and information technology workers, ratified the agreement shortly after.

“I just wanted to take a moment to say how thankful I am that we were able to come to a resolution, and I truly look forward to working together moving forward,” Acting Superintendent Carrie McDonald said at the meeting.

Jamie Anderson, vice president of Local 480 and a paraprofessional at Greenhaven, said this is what the union’s been waiting for since October.

“It finally came to fruition after 26-plus hours of mediation,” she said in an interview Monday.

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.

The contract approved Monday has no wage increases this year and a 1% increase next year. Anderson said the highlights are two extra vacation days for paras, resolution of compensatory times issues and wording changes, including a “me too” clause, giving the union a chance to renegotiate if another bargaining unit gets a wage increase.

“We’re not doing this for the wages,” Anderson said. “It has nothing to do with the money. That’s where that flexibility piece came in huge. Just show us that we’re important and give us a little more time off during the school year.”