With collective bargaining talks going poorly between the province and Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF), provincial educators have decided to engage in a one-day strike in mid-January.
The single-day strike will occur on Tuesday, Jan. 16, and the union is giving parents and families five days’ advance notice so they have extra time to prepare.
The union also plans to hold an online parent-and-caregiver information night on Sunday, Jan. 14, at 7 p.m. STF president Samantha Becotte will provide information about the status of contract negotiations, STF proposals, the potential for further teacher job action and the state of education in Saskatchewan.
Registration is required through the STF website, while space is limited to 5,000 people.
The STF explained that the legal requirement for notice of job action is 48 hours. Besides giving families enough time to prepare, the union says this also provides the government with the opportunity to change course.
If the province changes course, this allows its negotiating committee to bargain on critical issues affecting students and that concern teachers and parents, the union will stop the countdown and committees can return to the bargaining table, the union added.
“The last thing any teacher wants is for negotiations to impact the school year, so we are exhausting every possible option to get government back to the table,” said Becotte. “At every turn, teachers have said that committees are getting us nowhere on these urgent issues, and a new deal must include items to address class size and complexity.
“Government remains intransigent, even after conciliation,” she added. “This is not bargaining; they are making decisions based on politics and student learning is suffering for it.”
Education minister responds
“We are disappointed that the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation executive continues to work toward a strike while the Government Trustee Bargaining Committee (GTBC) remains at the bargaining table, ready to talk,” the Hon. Jeremy Cockrill, education minister, said in an email.
“Outside of that process, we have demonstrated our commitment to addressing classroom complexity with record funding and two brand new pilot projects announced just this week,” he continued. “We know that disrupting learning is not what is in the best interest of students, (while) that deals are reached at the bargaining table, not on the picket line.”
The ministry also knows that the STF’s decision affects parents and that school divisions are already working to communicate directly with parents and caregivers, Cockrill said.
Meanwhile, the GTBC has put forward a “fair deal” for teachers with a seven-per-cent raise over three years, ensuring Saskatchewan teachers remain paid above the Western Canadian average, he added. The GTBC wants to continue discussing competitive salary and benefits but cannot do so with the STF refusing to return to the table.
Govt's continued 'intransigence'
The union said the province is refusing to negotiate on class size and complexity, even after the conciliation board indicated support for teachers’ position that those two issues can be addressed through bargaining. If the government’s “intransigence” continued, the union could take additional job action following the one-day strike.
“Teachers and parents are united in wanting the best for their kids. We want to provide families with as much information as possible,” said Becotte. “This is a fight for the future of publicly funded education in Saskatchewan, and schools need the support of our communities.
“I encourage everyone across the province to reach out to your neighbours and friends, contact your elected officials, and let them know that the students of this province deserve a government that will provide them with the resources they desperately need,” she added.
The STF is encouraging education supporters to contact Cockrill to voice their concerns using the union’s action tool. Supporters can also sign up for emails about future advocacy actions designed to bring the province back to the table with a new mandate before Jan. 16.
