Anoka-Hennepin teachers schedule April strike vote

Teachers in the Anoka-Hennepin school district will vote on April 17 whether to strike.

Union leaders voted to put the decision to teachers in the state's largest district during a meeting Monday. The union and district have met at the bargaining table 16 times since May, but have failed to reach an agreement over pay and benefits.

Union officials say they're frustrated that no school board members have been involved in the negotiations. District leaders say they're committed to a settlement, but that teachers' demands are too expensive.

The two sides are working with a state mediator, but no additional talks are scheduled.

After teachers in St. Paul threatened a similar strike vote, the district and union came to an agreement in late February that averted a vote.

St. Paul teachers have approved a tentative contract that lowers class sizes and gives teachers a raise. The school board will vote whether to accept the contract at a meeting Tuesday night.

Minneapolis teachers recently reached a tentative agreement with district officials over their next two-year contract. Teachers have until March 28 to vote on the contract. The school board will act on the agreement in April.