Wspft

It’s that time of year again… time to celebrate that the summer is RIGHT on our doorstep!

Join us Wednesday as we say congrats to our retirees and see you later to the school year! ☺️

Friday, WSPFTers wore BLUE 💙 in solidarity for May Day! May Day is a day rooted in the historic fight for workers’ rights, a day that reminds us that progress has always come from people coming together.

Here’s to solidarity, to collective action, and to the power of all of us creating A Stronger Together. ✊💙

Very grateful to WSPFT members Matt Beniak (PK), Eddie Chhoun (TR), Kristi Cooper (H), Stacy Lufkin (FH/IPC) and Kristy Otte (H) for giving up much of their weekend to attend this year’s Representative Convention! They were among members from across the state who came together to do the hard work of helping to set and prioritize the actions of this year.

Convention attendees thanked Minnesota Governor, , for his work to support education and our own president, Brian, gave a report from his work as the Chair of the Legislative Action Committee. It felt good to work in union with so many great folks from across the state and build some new relationships with union leaders near and far!

Brian and Dwayne Johnson, President of the Chaska Education Association (CEA) Local 7048, were grateful for the opportunity to meet with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as a thank you for the hard work they’ve been doing to protect and support students, especially during the recent Operation Metro Surge.

We were happy to share stories from our community about struggles and resilience during Operation Metro Surge. We were all reminded of the importance in continuing to strengthen relationships across education, healthcare advocates, and business. Thank you to the Frogtown Los Ocampo staff and community partners for hosting this gathering!

Today, our Health Care Action Leaders (HCALs) Kristi Cooper and Hayley DeMers joined hundreds of other members to drive home the necessity for state wide health insurance for educators. This would help stabilize insurance costs for educators and their families across our state. Margaret Citta also testified in the Education Finance Committee on the importance of student support in schools.

Our HCALs were pleased to hear that Representative Clardy ( ) and Senator Klein ( ) support the EGIP bill that is currently making its way through both the House and Senate!

🚨Next stop for the EGIP bill 🚨
The Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee! We look forward to Chair Klein giving the bill a full hearing!

Thank you to Hayley, Kristi, and Margaret for spending your day doing this important work! 👏🏼

Health Insurance premiums are skyrocketing and for many, it’s not longer just a “budget issue” - it’s a FULL CRISIS. Minnesota educators have been taking home less pay with the increased premiums, are forced to borrow money to pay bills, work multiple jobs, and more just to afford healthcare.

It’s a surprise to no one, but the current system is broken! What’s the solution? The Educator Group Insurance Program (EGIP)! Education Minnesota’s 2026 Legislative priority is clear: a statewide health insurance plan for ALL educators. With EGIP, there is power in numbers! All teachers, paras, custodians, bus drivers, food service workers, admin, even the superintendent are in one massive insurance pool. This will help end the cycle of double-digit premium hikes by using the collective bargaining power of over 500 districts! Most importantly, it reduces the burdens on the adults working in the districts, allowing us to put the focus back where it belongs: THE STUDENTS.

How can you help?
Email your Representative: Tell them why affordable healthcare and EGIP is vital for keeping quality staff in our schools.
Share this or your own post: Let your community know we need their help to make this happen

Let’s stop the double digit health insurance premium increases!

Health Insurance premiums are skyrocketing and for many, it’s not longer just a “budget issue” - it’s a FULL CRISIS. Minnesota educators have been taking home less pay with the increased premiums, are forced to borrow money to pay bills, work multiple jobs, and more just to afford healthcare.

It’s a surprise to no one, but the current system is broken! What’s the solution? The Educator Group Insurance Program (EGIP)! Education Minnesota’s 2026 Legislative priority is clear: a statewide health insurance plan for ALL educators. With EGIP, there is power in numbers! All teachers, paras, custodians, bus drivers, food service workers, admin, even the superintendent are in one massive insurance pool. This will help end the cycle of double-digit premium hikes by using the collective bargaining power of over 500 districts! Most importantly, it reduces the burdens on the adults working in the districts, allowing us to put the focus back where it belongs: THE STUDENTS.

How can you help?
📧Email your Representative: Tell them why affordable healthcare and EGIP is vital for keeping quality staff in our schools.
🗣️Share this or your own post: Let your community know we need their help to make this happen

Let’s stop the double digit health insurance premium increases!

On Wednesday, WSPFT’s president, Brian McCarthy stood among other union leaders from around the state as Education Minnesota announced that they were joining districts in suing the federal offices and officials to block the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement from conducting raids on or near public schools or school bus stops (within 1,000 feet) without a judicial warrant or genuinely exigent circumstances.

We are proud to be among those who are taking a public stand against the cruelties that are being committed against our students and communities. School should be a safe place for learning and growing and we hope that this is one step to restore that for our students!

We see the work you are doing and how you are banding together to do this work. We appreciate your flexibility, resilience, and the strength that takes to show up everyday.

Photo credit:

This past weekend, WSPFT members attended the Political Conference where they were able to hear a wonderful line up of speakers, including Tim Walz, Peggy Flanagan, Keith Ellison, Angie Craig, and Amy Klobuchar.

Members were able to share about the importance of improving health care, educator pay, pensions, and more. Margaret Citta (TR) was among members who spoke on the MN Paid Family Medical Leave Act!

WSPFT members left feeling proud of commitment to our communities and our fellow members. We encourage everyone to remain steadfast. It’s hard for everyone right now, so find how you can help within your capacity and remember to take care of yourself!

Despite temperatures that were so cold that school was cancelled, thousands of Minnesotans - including many WSPFT members - showed up to the ICE OUT protest and rally in Minneapolis today. The protest, along with the economic shutdown around the state, was designed to pressure federal government to remove ICE from our state.

WSPFT is proud to stand among Minnesotans demanding that we continue to be a safe space. We prioritize the safety of our students and families and will continue to do so, in our schools, at bus stops, in our communities, and in our state.

Make no mistake, we need ICE out NOW, and we will continue to fight until that happens.

We may be Minnesota Nice, but we are also strong-willed, justice-demanding, community-focused people who aren’t afraid of a little cold to demand what is right.