Anoka-Hennepin Teachers Remain On The Job As Tentative Agreement Pauses Strike Plans

Anoka, Minn., Jan. 8, 2026
Students across Minnesota’s largest school district attended classes as scheduled Thursday after overnight mediation resulted in a tentative labor agreement between the Anoka-Hennepin School District and its teachers union, Anoka-Hennepin Education Minnesota, temporarily averting a strike that had been set to begin this morning.

The agreement was reached in the early hours of Wednesday, January 7, following a marathon 20-hour mediation session that extended through the night and concluded around 5:00 a.m. The deal allows schools to remain open while the proposed contract moves through a formal ratification process.

District officials confirmed that all schools, transportation services, and extracurricular activities operated normally throughout Thursday, bringing short-term stability after months of escalating labor tensions.

A strike narrowly avoided

Teachers in the Anoka-Hennepin School District have been working without a contract since June 2025. The dispute intensified in December after union members overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike, prompting AHEM to file a formal notice of intent to strike on December 22, 2025.

Negotiations stalled largely over salary increases and the rising cost of health insurance, which union leaders said had significantly eroded take-home pay. According to the union, some educators were paying more than $1,500 per month for family health coverage, a level they argued was unsustainable and harmful to retention.

As the strike deadline approached, state-mediated talks continued nearly uninterrupted for 20 hours before the sides reached a tentative settlement just one day before a walkout would have begun.

AHEM President John Wolhaupter said the proposed agreement avoids pay cuts, protects health insurance, and provides stability for educators and students, though he emphasized that final approval rests with union members.

What is known as of Thursday evening

As of the end of day Thursday, district and union leaders confirmed that the tentative agreement:

• Covers the 2025–26 and 2026–27 school years
• Keeps educators in classrooms while the ratification process moves forward
• Has not yet been released publicly, pending review by union membership

District officials reiterated that personnel costs account for the largest share of the operating budget, and said reaching a temporary resolution was critical to preventing immediate disruption to families and staff.

School Board transition underway

The labor breakthrough coincided Thursday with a change in the composition of the Anoka-Hennepin School Board, as three newly elected members were sworn in on January 8, the same day schools reopened under the tentative agreement.

The new members are:

• Linda Hoekman, District 1, a former teacher who campaigned on academic rigor and parental engagement
• Zach Arco, District 2, a mechanical engineer focused on fiscal oversight and transparency
• Michelle Langenfeld, District 5, a former superintendent and educator emphasizing literacy and student mental health

Hoekman and Arco were endorsed by the Anoka-Hennepin Parents Alliance, while Langenfeld was endorsed by Anoka-Hennepin Education Minnesota. The newly seated board will be responsible for final approval of the contract once union members complete their vote.

What happens next

The agreement reached this week is tentative and not yet legally binding. The next steps include:

• Union ratification, with AHEM members expected to review and vote on the proposal within the next one to two weeks
• School Board approval, which would formally finalize the contract

Until that process is completed, educators will continue working under the terms of the previous agreement. Any approved salary adjustments are typically applied retroactively once a contract is finalized.

MinneapoliMedia