St. Paul school district calls for mediator in union negotiation

The St. Paul Public Schools district has walked away from contract talks with the district's teachers union and is asking a state mediator to help with negotiations.

Matt Mohs, the district's chief academic officer, says the district ended talks because union proposals, such as adding staffing to schools, would have cost the district $130 million over two years.

"It had become clear there we were really not on the same page on how to approach contract negotiations," Mohs said.

School district officials say the union's refusal to take part in the state-funded merit pay and teacher training program called Q Comp, as well as a proposal to end state mandated assessment testing, also led to the end of talks.

Union officials say they're disappointed the district pulled out of talks fairly early in the negotiation process.

"We've presented about a dozen or so of our proposals," said Mary Cathryn Ricker, president of the St. Paul Federation of Teachers. "We haven't gotten a counterproposal on any one of them."

Talks under a mediator's guidance likely will take place behind closed doors, Ricker said.