Fifteen thousand workers in Minnesota voted to authorize strikes recently, the culmination of over a decade of cross-sector organizing—with powerful results.

Then Minneapolis Public Works employees represented by LIUNA Local 363 announced on Monday that members had approved a new contract that includes a raise of nearly 30 percent over the next three years, the biggest wage increase the local had ever secured, as well as health and safety protections, limits on temp workers, greater union rights, and other wins.

Meanwhile, St. Paul teachers, who planned to strike this week, reached a tentative agreement on Tuesday that averted their action. Details aren’t yet available, but teachers had been fighting for pay increases that keep up with surrounding suburban districts, parity for hourly employees, and more services for students struggling post-pandemic, such as fully funded mental health teams.