‘A little bit scary’: Job action looms over extra curriculars in Sask.

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Right now, whenever Sophie Larsen sets foot with her high school teammates on the basketball court, it comes with a sense of uncertainty and a question: will this be the final time they’re all together?

The contract dispute between the provincial government and Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) has loomed large for athletes, band members, drama performers, science clubs, travellers and anyone else involved in extra curricular activities in schools across the province.

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To this point, job action taken by the STF has included one-day strikes, no noon-hour supervision or single-day cancellations of extra curricular activities. But it doesn’t take a long memory to know what further escalation can look like. In 2020, even before the COVID-19 pandemic that forced worldwide shutdowns, all extra curricular activities in Saskatchewan schools — including Hoopla, the provincial high school basketball championships — were called off in mid-March when the STF pulled teachers from extra curriculars due to a contract dispute with the province.

“It is frustrating and a little bit scary,” said Larsen, a Grade 12 co-captain with the Walter Murray senior girls team.

“Definitely a lot of concern.”

Job action in recent weeks has resulted in the cancellation of not just classes, but sports games and practices, band concerts and drama performances, track meets for elementary students, field trips and more. More job action — including further strikes or withdrawal of extra curricular activities — could force the cancellation of out-of-country trips that have been months or years in the making.

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HOOPLA BRINGS THOUSANDS TOGETHER

Under the banner of the Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association (SHSAA), there are more than 350 high schools in the province.

The provincial wrestling championships, which take place Friday and Saturday in Saskatoon, are safe from cancellation for the hundreds of competitors in boys and girls divisions.

City and regional curling championships have also been taking place, leading up to provincials this weekend in three locations across Saskatchewan.

Hoopla is set to bring together upwards of 600 players on four dozen boys and girls teams from March 21-23 in Moose Jaw. Throwing into the mix teams that compete in city and regional playoffs just to qualify for Hoopla over the next week, the number of players, coaches and staff involved in high school hoops right now is into the thousands. The number of family, friends and fans is multiplied exponentially.

Larsen’s coaches and teammates have had conversations in recent weeks about how each practice or game could be “our last opportunity to play together.” The Marauders have had two league games and multiple practices affected by the withdrawal of extra curricular activities.

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“Now, with all the uncertainty, we’re making the most of every time we get to play together,” said Larsen, who has high hopes for her Murray squad to earn a berth to provincials. “Hoopla is an eye opener for that. It’s the end, the grand finale. It’s kind of a big deal.”

Going through each day with the uncertainty of not knowing what will happen “is definitely a cause for concern,” she added.

“I think Hoopla is such a big deal. Last year, I got to be a big part of that and it was one of the best experiences of my life. To miss out on that, especially for those in senior year, that would not be great.

“For that to be on the line. I don’t think it’s fair … For lots of girls, it’s their last year of basketball ever.”

SHSAA executive director Dave Sandomirsky declined to speak in-depth, but said the SHSAA is continuing to prepare for Hoopla.

“Until we find out otherwise, we’re planning to go ahead,” Sandomirsky said, adding the SHSAA is “cautiously optimistic” that the provincial basketball championships will take place as scheduled.

Prior to 2020, when Hoopla and all other extra curriculars were cancelled, the last time job sanctions reached a similar point was in 2011, when extra curricular activities including the provincial track and field championships were cancelled following the STF’s withdrawal of voluntary teacher services.

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PUBLIC BACK-AND-FORTH CONTINUES

During this current round of bargaining, the STF has asked the province to include issues such as class complexity in the new labour contract. Government officials have refused, saying those matters are best dealt with by other means.

On Wednesday, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said the province was going to add $180 million to the education budget, or about a nine-per-cent increase, bringing the total funding to $2.2 billion. He noted the education budget will set aside more than $350 million to help address class sizes and complexity.

Moe said the announcement should “clearly demonstrate” his government’s commitment to addressing the issue, and he called for the STF to suspend ongoing job action.

STF president Samantha Becotte said the government simply “announced ad hoc funding to avoid being held accountable,” reiterating the STF’s position that any funding must be a “firm, irrevocable commitment in the collective agreement.

“If government would simply bring these offers to the table, a deal could be reached very quickly and all sanction activity would stop.”

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