The teachers are striking for a new, improved contract.

Teachers for the school district of Minneapolis, Minnesota walked off of work this morning, beginning a full-on strike against the district. The teachers had been attempting to reach a consensus with the district on a new and improved contract, which would include things like improved wages, caps on class sizes, and improved mental health services for their students who have been dealing with increased stress from the COVID-19 pandemic. When an agreement couldn’t be reached, classes were halted for about 29,000 students.

“We are on strike for safe and stable schools, we’re on strike for systemic change, we’re on strike for our students, the future of our city and the future of Minneapolis public schools,” Greta Cunningham, president of the teachers’ chapter of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers, told the Associated Press.

The Minneapolis School District employs approximately 3,265 teachers, many of whom are lower-tier hires that don’t make a living wage for their work. One of the major goals of the negotiations was to secure an annual starting salary for these workers of at least $35,000. Representatives of the school distract want to continue the negotiations, and teachers’ union representative replied that they are more than willing to talk, though no new talks have been scheduled at time of writing.