Anoka-Hennepin Strike Would Put Season on Hold for Five Teams

Today there will be a mediation hearing and if it leads to a strike the season will be put on hold for five Class AAAA boys basketball teams (as well as all other activities at the schools).

What teams does it affect? Anoka. Andover. Blaine. Champlin Park. And Coon Rapids. And of course everybody they play.

The hearing is today. If you want the full details of the hearing/strike there are numerous articles about it written by several media sources. Overall it sounds like the teachers of the Anoka-Hennepin district are dealing with quite a spike with their insurance, and I'm guessing most people can relate as that is happening across the country.

But our focus is about the athletic fall out. If the teachers go on strike that will put a pause on the athletic seasons for those five high schools listed above, starting Thursday.

I'm sure your first reaction is... can't the coaches that aren't teachers still coach the kids? Over the years this is what has happened at several districts but Anoka-Hennepin is a different monster of a district and they have said there will be no athletics. The district said the following recently....

"Activities and athletics will be immediately suspended. The District has determined that there are not sufficient certified coaches, activities advisors, and event staff necessary to safely operate high school activities and be in compliance with Minnesota State High School League requirements at this time. This directive encompasses middle school athletics and activities, as well as all school-based elementary events and activities."

When you start thinking about those five schools you realize that some of the coaches at these schools are teachers, but others are building workers not on a teacher contract, and others simply work other jobs.

I would assume in smaller districts you could field a coaching staff and make plans but this is a giant district with so many teams and so many events. I have no idea how complicated it might be to patch all of that together: some coaching staffs might have most coaches available despite the strike while other coaching staffs might be all teachers and have nobody to coach. It's tough to really think about all of that if you don't have all the information.

We did talk to one superintendent about the suspension of the activities and that person said "it's no doubt a power move to a degree, but keep in mind the size of that district which complicates the matter more than a teacher strike would at a school district with a single high school".

The thing that truly stinks is that not only will these five athletic programs not get to play their games, their opponents won't get those games either!

From what we are hearing, people are not optimistic about a settlement today but they are most optimistic about a settlement by next Tuesday the 13th. The strike is expected to start this Thursday so that would give the negotiating teams Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday to figure this out.

We are told that the games between the five schools that would be missed are going to be re-scheduled but there will be forfeits when it comes to games against teams outside the district. For example Osseo takes on Blaine this Thursday and that would lead to a forfeit from Blaine.

Overall there is a big list of games this could affect including Champlin Park vs Centennial, Andover vs Totino-Grace, Andover vs Spring Lake Park, Blaine vs Osseo, Anoka vs Mahtomedi, and Anoka vs Osseo.

You would see the Coon Rapids vs Blaine and Coon Rapids vs Champlin Park games rescheduled but at this moment those games above would be forfeits if this strike does talk place and last for a week. Also keep in mind there will be no practice.

Hopefully this all gets figured out, the kids deserve it. But at the same time, our teachers and coaches deserve fair deals as well.