“This is the longest-ever job action by Saskatchewan teachers, but we would halt sanctions immediately if government would either agree to binding arbitration on the single issue of class size and complexity or provide the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee with a mandate that includes that issue,” Samantha Becotte said.
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As the Saskatchewan teachers’ union announces a further escalation of job action, the provincial government says it is prepared to create an “accountability framework” connected to a multi-year funding deal it made with school boards earlier this month.
A four-day provincewide withdrawal of extracurricular activities is set to begin Monday, fulfilling a promise the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) made to escalate sanctions if the province refused to negotiate or agree to binding arbitration to deal with issues of class size and complexity.
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Shortly after the sanctions were announced Friday, Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill in a statement said he is “extremely disappointed” in the union’s decision to “continue targeting” extracurricular activities.
“As I indicated publicly yesterday, work has been underway to find a path forward with the teachers’ union,” he added. “I will have more to say next week on how we are working to ensure that students get the opportunities they so deserve, including graduation.”
Earlier this month, a four-year deal was inked between the Government of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan School Board Association (SSBA) which represents 27 school boards across the province. The deal lays out a $356.6-million floor for funding for the 2024-25 fiscal year until 2027-28 and the province has said the money “will address important issues like classroom size and complexity.”
The accountability framework “would be a mechanism to ensure outcomes of the new multiyear funding agreement are having a positive impact in the classroom,” the province said in a statement Friday morning when asked to clarify what the framework would entail.
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The STF has criticized the deal for, among other things, a subtle asterisk that notes all the money within it is subject to appropriation. That means funds could be used for things other than to tackle classroom conditions related to size and complexity.
As the provincial government continues to announce funding boosts for education outside a new collective agreement, the union has repeated calls for accountability and a binding commitment to long-term funding.
“The withdrawal of extracurricular activities during the four days leading up to spring break demonstrates that teachers remain steadfast in their call for sustainable funding for prekindergarten to Grade 12 education,” STF president Samantha Becotte said Friday in a statement.
While teachers don’t want to cancel events and experiences that are meaningful to students, Becotte said, the STF is left with “no other options when it comes to negotiating a contract that provides predictable, ongoing supports for students and schools, and recognizes the important role played by teachers.”
The STF has said the “longest-ever job action by Saskatchewan teachers” would cease if the province agrees to binding arbitration, or to bargain on classroom composition and complexity.
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On top of the withdrawal of extracurricular activities, several school divisions will also withdraw noon-hour supervision on Monday. This includes all schools in Holy Family Catholic, Holy Trinity Catholic, North East, Prairie Spirit, Saskatchewan Rivers, Prince Albert Catholic, Living Sky and Light of Christ Catholic school divisions, and Sakewew High School.
Thousands of teachers and hundreds of community members gathered at the Legislative Building on Wednesday as part of a one-day provincewide strike coinciding with budget day. Hundreds of student-athletes and supporters also rallied on multiple days in Saskatoon, Regina and Moose Jaw to protest the withdrawal of extra curricular activities that affected Hoopla (the provincial high school basketball championships) and the Optimist Music Festival in Regina.
More than 65,000 emails were delivered to provincial cabinet ministers on Wednesday through a website called Tell Them Tuesday — an initiative created by the union, the STF release said.
More to come…
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