The Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) announced on Jan. 29 that another round of full-day strike action is on the way, with all Moose Jaw and district schools to be affected as the STF increases pressure on the provincial government.
“Where is the Minister of Education? People are doing everything they can to bring their concerns to his attention, but he still refuses to listen,” Samantha Becotte, president of the STF, said in the release announcing the strikes.
Becotte and the STF have ramped up rhetoric accusing the Sask Party government and Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill of bargaining in bad faith. Both sides claim widespread support for their respective positions, with Cockrill characterizing the dispute as a wage issue on social media and suggesting that Saskatchewan teachers are already near the top in Canada. Meanwhile, the STF has organized a letter-writing campaign to the Ministry of Education and local MLAs — a campaign they say has resulted in 10s of thousands of supportive responses.
“Saskatchewan people have sent over 30,000 emails to government in less than three weeks – and these are just the emails we know of," Becotte said. "When this government received 18 letters from parents this fall, they called an emergency session of the legislature to invoke the notwithstanding clause and circumvent the constitution. They only seem concerned about the issues that fit within their political agenda. It is mystifying that they believe this can continue.”
This is the third job action. The province has not budged from firm statements that issues like the size and complexity of classrooms are most appropriately addressed by school boards and should not be part of the collective bargaining between the STF and the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee.
The next job action is set for Thursday, Feb. 1, and marks the first rotating strikes so far, which will target specific sections of the province at a time. Rotating strikes will be held by the following local associations:
- Holy Trinity Teachers’ Association
- Holy Trinity Catholic School Division schools
- Horizon Teachers’ Association
- All Horizon School Division schools
- Prairie South Teachers’ Association
- All Prairie South School Division schools
- Prince Albert and Area Teachers’ Association
- All Prince Albert Catholic School Division schools
- All Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division schools
- Tri-West Teachers’ Association
- All Light of Christ Catholic School Division schools
- All Living Sky School Division schools
- Sakewew High School (North Battleford)
Strike action includes Fransaskoises schools that fall within the indicated geographic boundaries, as well as Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre teachers who work at a school or regional campus within those geographic boundaries.
“Teachers want to be in their classrooms supporting students, but government is making that untenable,” Becotte claimed. “There are many factors at play when we are selecting our next course of action, and we appreciate how this situation impacts people. Teachers are strong in our resolve, and support throughout our communities and across Canada has been so important. I thank everyone who has joined the cause for publicly funded schools. Our voices are strongest together.”
Coinciding with Thursday’s job action will be an 'Advocacy Day', calling on all parents, students, businesses, and community members to help put pressure on government to negotiate with the STF on class size and complexity. The Advocacy Day is being organized at www.tellthemtuesday.com/rsvp_day_of_action.
