ST. PAUL - St. Paul Public Schools teachers soon will vote on a tentative two-year contract agreement that features back-to-back 2 percent pay raises and several million dollars to improve school safety and conditions for learning.
The executive board of the St. Paul Federation of Teachers on Monday recommended its members ratify the agreement reached last week. Rank-and-file members will vote Friday.
The district had offered 0.5 percent increases each year. The union was asking for 2.5 percent raises.
The agreement effectively split the difference because of the timing. The first increase will be retroactive to Jan. 9, and the second will go into effect July 1. The contract covers the 2015-16 and 2016-17 school years.
The pay increases will cost the district $21 million over two years, district spokesman Ryan Vernosh said. St. Paul teachers were paid an average of $70,166 in 2014-15, more than any other Minnesota public school district.
