HERMANTOWN – Teachers took to the sidewalks before and after school on Monday and Tuesday to raise awareness about contract negotiations with the Hermantown School District.
“We’re finally standing up for ourselves,” said high school science teacher Katie Brown-Mesedahl. “This isn’t a strike – we just want the community to know that we’re not competitive with other districts (in terms of pay).”
Brown-Mesedahl said she has received offers from other districts even though she’s not looking for work.
“And they keep saying, ‘We can pay you a lot more than Hermantown,’ and I don’t want to leave, but it’s tempting,” Brown-Mesedahl said. “When I was first hired here, my principal encouraged me to get a second job.”
A fellow teacher standing near Brown-Mesedahl had to leave the picket line on Monday afternoon to get to her second job as a waiter.
At the heart of the dispute between the Hermantown Teachers Union Local 1096 and the district are wages and health insurance. The district’s offer, according to Superintendent Wayne Whitwam, is a 2.5% salary increase in 2023-24 and 2% in 2024-25, with a $555 monthly increase in the family insurance contribution.
Teachers are asking for a 9% salary increase in both years and to pay 90% of the premium for single plans and 60% for family plans.
“On the teachers’ contract, the district’s bargaining team feels we are making progress and have tentatively agreed to many items,” said a statement from Whitwam. “We recognise that there is still work to be done, as there is in many school districts across the state. Many school districts across the state are still negotiating with their teachers. We look forward to continuing to work with our teachers in negotiations to reach a mutually agreeable new contract.