Teachers, students disappointed as job action has no end in sight

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Thousands braved cold temperatures and harsh winds as they gathered at the Saskatchewan legislature Monday to put pressure on the province in what has been the longest string of job action by teachers in the province’s history.

Celine Mills, a teacher with Regina Catholic Schools said it’s disheartening to feel ignored by the provincial government as the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) is in its ninth week of rotating strikes and sanctions throughout the province.

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“It’s really amazing to see so many of our colleagues coming out,” said Mills, bundled up at the legislative building. “On the other hand, it’s frustrating and a little disheartening that we have to be out here again. The fact that we’re not being taken seriously, that the people who are supposed to be in charge and making decisions for the betterment of kids, are ignoring the things that we’re seeing.”

“It makes me personally feel like my professional opinion doesn’t count for much in the eyes of the government.”

While strikers picketed around the legislature grounds in droves, a solemn and subdued atmosphere was in the air.

“It feels different today,” said Mills. “I feel like we’re a little less optimistic.”

Teachers continue to push the need for language to address classroom size and complexity to be included in the union’s collective agreement, which the province has repeatedly turned down, offering $53.1 million in annualized funding to address these issues outside bargaining through a memorandum of understanding.

Teacher’s are standing up for their profession in an “admirable fashion,” Premier Scott Moe told reporters on Monday.

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“The fact of the matter is, and I think Saskatchewan families would agree with this fact, is we want teachers and students to be in the classroom,” said Moe following the announcement of a provincial labour market strategy on the other side of town. “And the appropriate place for the teachers’ union is to be at the bargaining table.”

Moe said the STF has bargained for “30 minutes in the last five months,” and the province has made three offers to the union which have been turned down.

“We’re not going to take what is a locally-elected school division decision and transition that decision-making ability to a provincial union,” said Moe.

The premier promised a “continued commitment to that specific investment” in the next year or two.

Back at the picket line, Jeff Sweet was parked in front of the legislature, handing out free coffee and snacks to picketers out of his truck in support of the STF.

“We’re all workers,” said Sweet, who is a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 2038. “We need to support each other because it’s the only way we have any real power as workers, is when we stick together and not think about the differences.”

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Sweet said the IBEW obtained the truck in order to get workers out on the picket line, and try to get out as often as they can to support workers in different types of unions.

Last week, school divisions across the province withdrew the supervision of extracurricular activities, which has disappointed students, teachers say.

Learning resource teacher Trish Linner supervises a lunch hour beading club at Glen Elm Community School where students from Grade 4 to Grade 8 learn to bead and connect with Indigenous traditions and culture.

“They love to have that time and do something different from within the classroom,” said Linner. “It’s unfortunate we have to put this on students, but we’re also not being paid attention to.”

“This government, they’re not willing to work with us, so we have to start taking harder and harder steps.”

While many teachers were not able to travel to Regina due to inclement weather following a winter storm over the weekend, they still took part in alternative advocacy actions, including calling and emailing the government, said an STF news release.

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“We are very grateful for the numbers of teachers and supporters who were able to make it to the legislative building this morning as MLAs returned for the spring session,” said STF president Samantha Becotte in the release.

Approximately 3,500 teachers from Regina Public Schools, Regina Catholic Schools, Prairie South School Division, Holy Family Catholic School Division, South East Cornerstone School Division as well as teachers from Conseil des écoles frasaskoises and the Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre were present at the legislature.

“It is a clear sign to government that we are united, we are supported and we are not backing down,” said Becotte.

Monday marks the final day of a five-day countdown to further escalation. The STF says if the province does not provide its bargaining committee with a new mandate to bargain on issues of class size and complexity, teachers will be withdrawing all extracurricular supports on March 5 and 6.

AnAmato@Postmedia.com

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