STF says Sask. teachers to hold single-day strike on Tuesday

Saskatchewan teachers will hold a single-day strike on Tuesday.

Samantha Becotte, president of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation, made the announcement during a virtual news conference Thursday morning.

Federation members voted overwhelmingly in favour of sanctions in October, and with contract talks stalled, the union said last month that sanctions were “virtually inevitable.” The union also assured parents and caregivers that at least 48 hours’ notice would be given in advance of any job action.

The union said five days’ notice was given for the single-day strike in order to allow families more time to prepare, and to give the government a final chance.

“Should the government change course and allow their negotiating committee to bargain on critical issues impacting students and raising serious concerns among teachers and parents, the countdown will be stopped, and committees can return to the bargaining table,” the union said in a statement.

Negotiations between the union and provincial government have been at an impasse for some time, with teachers pushing for a new collective bargaining agreement to include stipulations on class sizes and classroom complexity.

Becotte said the union is trying every option to get back to bargaining.

“The last thing any teacher wants is for negotiations to impact the school year, so we are exhausting every possible option to get government back to the table,” Becotte said in a statement.

“At every turn, teachers have said that committees are getting us nowhere on these urgent issues, and a new deal must include items to address class size and complexity. Government remains intransigent, even after conciliation. This is not bargaining; they are making decisions based on politics and student learning is suffering for it.”

STF president Samantha Becotte speaks to media in an online news conference on Sept. 20, 2022. (650 CKOM file photo)

The union said additional job action will follow the one-day strike if the government continues to refuse to negotiate on those issues.

Becotte noted that a recent report from the conciliation board acknowledged that teachers have a right to negotiate classroom complexity, though it wasn’t an official recommendation from the board.

The federation president called for support as members begin job action.

“Teachers and parents are united in wanting the best for their kids,” Becotte added.

“This is a fight for the future of publicly funded education in Saskatchewan, and schools need the support of our communities. I encourage everyone across the province to reach out to your neighbours and friends, contact your elected officials, and let them know that the students of this province deserve a government that will provide them with the resources they desperately need.”

In a statement, Saskatoon Public Schools said all classes, transportation and extracurricular activities will be suspended on Tuesday due to the strike.

“As a school division, we respect the collective bargaining process,” the province’s largest school division said. “Our number one priority is the safety of our students, and we are committed to keeping parents, caregivers and families informed of future job action and changes to school operations.”

The division advised parents and caregivers to watch out for more communications, and to contact their child’s school directly with any questions.

We were informed today that the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) will be withdrawing the services of all teachers in the province for the entire day on Tuesday, January 16, 2024.

Read more: https://t.co/4SgK8PLGwG pic.twitter.com/NRORI5TtLr

— Saskatoon Public Schools (@StoonPubSchools) January 11, 2024

Jeremy Cockrill, Saskatchewan’s education minister, said he was disappointed to hear about the planned strike, and said the government’s committee “remains at the bargaining table, ready to talk.”

The minister has acknowledged challenges around large, complex classes, but said those issues are best left to local school divisions to manage.

“We know that disrupting learning is not in the best interest of students, and that deals are reached at the bargaining table, not on the picket line,” Cockrill said in a statement.

“We also know that the STF’s decision affects parents and that school divisions are already working to communicate directly with parents and caregivers.”

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The minister also pointed to a pilot program announced this week aiming to reduce disruptive behaviour in classrooms and other recent investments in education.

The province, Cockrill said, is offering teachers a seven per cent pay bump over three years, and “would like to continue discussing competitive salary and benefits but cannot with the STF refusing to return to the table.”

The government launched an advertising campaign last summer saying the average teacher in Saskatchewan earns $92,000 per year, which is higher than the average in Western Canada. Becotte labelled that campaign misleading, and said it shifted the tone of negotiations.

Both Cockrill and Becotte joined the Evan Bray show earlier this week to discuss the impasse in negotiations.

Lori Johb, president of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour, issued a statement saying her group is “unwavering in our support of the planned job action by the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation.”

Johb said the provincial government has shown “disdain” for public education and collective bargaining, and urged the public to support the teachers during the strike.

More to come.