Teachers and staff picketed outside Minneapolis School District headquarters in 2021. Negotiations in the Minneapolis and St. Paul districts have dragged on for months. (Jeff Wheeler, Star Tribune file/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Teachers unions in Minneapolis and St. Paul have set the stage for strikes in each district — as soon as March 8 — unless they reach agreements on new contracts.

Leaders from both groups rallied Wednesday at the Bureau of Mediation Services office in St. Paul after filing their intents to strike. That process starts the clock on the minimum 10 days' notice required by state law.

"A strike is a last resort and we will work tirelessly to reach an agreement for our membership," said Daniel Perez, a school social worker at Green Central Elementary and a member of the Minneapolis teachers union's bargaining team. He said disappointment in recent bargaining rounds is "pushing" the union toward a strike.

In a video sent to parents, Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) Superintendent Ed Graff said the district and the union share "many of the same priorities." But the district faces a significant budget shortfall due to declining enrollment and the underfunding of public education, he said.

"MPS has to weigh the impact of a strike now against the impact to students and families in the future if MPS spends money we don't have," Graff said.

Negotiations in the Minneapolis and St. Paul districts have dragged on for months, stalled over concerns about wages, student mental health supports, class sizes and efforts to recruit and retain teachers of color.

The teachers union in Minneapolis is also pushing to increase starting wages for education support professionals to $35,000 from $24,000.

St. Paul Superintendent Joe Gothard also sent a video statement to families, saying "our educators deserve everything they are asking for in their contract … At the same time, we have fewer students, fewer resources and less money to meet those needs."

The St. Paul School District faces a $43 million shortfall next year and "simply does not have the funding or people to create new positions in every school while our enrollment continues to decline," Gothard said.

In a statement to members, leaders of the St. Paul Federation of Educators (SPFE) said the decision to strike is not taken lightly.

SPFE went on a three-day strike in 2020 shortly before the pandemic forced schools to move to distance learning.

"We know [a strike] is going to be a sacrifice, but it's a short-term sacrifice for the things that we know our students are going to need for the long term," said Leah VanDassor, the St. Paul union president.

Gov. Tim Walz, a former teacher, said Wednesday he understands tensions are high and acknowledged it's been a difficult time for schools, parents and teachers. He urged them to find a "solution that serves everyone here, especially our children."

"Let's just get back to the table," Walz said. "Let's negotiate in good faith and let's get this thing done."

The next mediation sessions between the unions and their districts are scheduled for Friday and Monday.

The Minneapolis Federation of Teachers and Education Support Professionals has about 4,500 members and the St. Paul Federation of Educators has about 4,200, union leaders said.

If the teachers walk, school administrators have said classes will be canceled until a strike concludes. Missed days would likely need to be made up during school breaks or in the summer.

Both districts are planning to have child-care options for their youngest students in the event of a strike.

Staff writer Jessie Van Berkel contributed to this report.