The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) is continuing to engage in one-day rotating strikes, with the most recent job action affecting students in Moose Jaw’s Francophone and public school divisions.
Teachers have given notice of a one-day rotating strike for Monday, March 4. By law, 48 hours’ notice is required for job action; however, the STF says it’s providing extra time to allow families to make arrangements and the provincial government “to change course.”
A rotating strike is the withdrawal of all professional and voluntary services for 24 hours. Teachers will not report to school and will not perform any teaching-related duties on the day of a strike.
Strike action will involve teachers who are members of the following associations:
- Association Locale des Enseignantes et des Enseignants Fransaskois: École Mgr de Laval Pavillon Secondaire des Quatre Vents (Regina), École du Parc (Regina), École Mgr de Laval Pavillon Primaire (Regina), École Ducharme (Moose Jaw) and École Mathieu de Gravelbourg (Gravelbourg), École Beau Soleil (Gravelbourg), École de Bellegarde (Bellegarde)
- Holy Family Catholic School Division Teachers’ Association
- Prairie South School Division Teachers’ Association
- Regina Public School Division Teachers’ Association
- Regina Catholic School Division Teachers’ Association
- Saskatchewan Distance Learning Corporation: South Central Campus (Moose Jaw) and South East Campus (Estevan)
- South East Cornerstone School Division Teachers’ Association
On Monday, striking teachers from those will gather outside the Saskatchewan Legislative Building in Regina. This action coincides with the first day of the spring legislative session.
The STF is encouraging supporters to join teachers on the strike line between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.
“Government has ignored calls, emails, meeting requests and office visits from teachers, parents and concerned citizens. It will be awfully difficult for them to ignore us on Monday as they return for spring session,” STF president Samantha Becotte.
“Saskatchewan residents have sent over 110,000 emails to government and school board trustees since the beginning of January,” she continued. “In the face of this overwhelming support for the actions that teachers are taking for their students and publicly funded schools, it is deeply troubling that government remains so intransigent in their position.
“Students, teachers and families in Saskatchewan deserve much better. When government is ready to listen and quit ignoring Saskatchewan parents, we are ready to work with them to find solutions that support the students in both today’s classrooms and the classrooms of the future.”
Teachers understand that strike action is an inconvenience to many families, the STF said. Meanwhile, it says that parents and caregivers concerned about the job action should contact their MLAs and elected school board trustees to have them encourage the province to provide its bargaining committee with a new mandate “to negotiate in good faith” on the issues that teachers are bringing forward.
Prairie South response
Ryan Boughen, director of education for Prairie South, said in a letter to parents and guardians that they should keep their children home that day, as all school-related activities will be cancelled.
School will resume on Tuesday, March 5, but there will be no extracurricular activities because the STF has withdrawn those services on March 5 and 6.
“We understand that closing schools causes a significant disruption to our students and families,” Boughen said. “We thank you for your continued understanding and support as we continue to minimize the impact of strike action on our students and school communities.”
Province responds
An email from the Ministry of Education said, "It’s unfortunate that the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) senior leadership continues to choose job action over getting a deal done on behalf of teachers, students and families.
"The Government Trustee Bargaining Committee (GTBC) extended invitations every day last week to the STF to come back to the bargaining table, where negotiators had been waiting and were ready to engage in meaningful discussions.
"The government has moved on a number of items that the STF asked for, including a renewed salary mandate and workplace safety enhancements. The STF has refused to move off their initial proposals, including a 23.4 per cent salary increase.
"Outside of bargaining, government has proposed an agreement with the STF to annualize the $53.1 million in additional funding for class size and complexity.
"Since October, the STF has been at the bargaining table for a total of 30 minutes.
"Teachers and students should be in the classroom, and the teachers’ union should be at the bargaining table."
