Teachers, province hope to hammer out new deal as bargaining resumes

The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation and the provincial government have both made it clear that they want a solution to come out of the next two days of collective bargaining.

“We want to get this deal done,” Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill said Thursday when it was announced the two sides were going back to the table.

“We’re going to this in good faith,” said federation president Samantha Becotte.

“We’re really hopeful that at the end of the two days it’s a positive announcement that we’re making about a tentative agreement that has been reached between teachers, government and school boards.”

The government put forward a new offer on Wednesday, prompting the union to pause its rotating strikes and its planned withdrawal of lunch-hour supervision, which was originally going to happen on Thursday.

Negotiations have been stalled since October when the teachers’ federation declared an impasse in negotiations with the government’s bargaining committee.

Cockrill said the government has always been willing to continue to negotiate.

“We’ve been at the table,” Cockrill stated. “We never left the table. The teachers’ federation made the unfortunate decision to leave the bargaining table back in October.”

Cockrill said the action by the union has left families and students facing uncertainty, and the government wants to get a deal done.

“What you’ve seen this week is a commitment from government to get back to bargaining and ensure we can get a deal done that will work for people,” the minister said.

In order to get a deal done, both sides will likely have to be willing to make some concessions.

From the start of negotiations, the union has made it clear that its top request has to do with addressing classroom complexities and class sizes.

Becotte reiterated that the union will continue to press for those items to be part of whatever agreement they come to.

“We’re hopeful (there will be) a commitment around improvements in our classrooms where class complexity can be addressed,” she stated.

“If we do not see government coming in good faith, and they’re not engaging in negotiations with a back and forth to make sure that all sides are satisfied, then if there were additional sanction actions that would be required at that time, we would provide a 48-hour notice when we felt action was needed,” Becotte added.

Salary has also been a sticking point in the negotiations. Teachers have asked for an annual increase of two per cent, plus the Consumer Price Index average annual rate, over four years. Cockrill has said that would be a 23.5 per cent hike over a four-year period.

The government previously countered with an offer of a seven per cent pay bump over three years, but that appeared to change on Wednesday when Premier Scott Moe said teachers would be offered the same salary formula used by MLAs.

Becotte said she isn’t sure why the province decided that now is the right time to make a new offer.

“I’m actually disappointed that it’s coming this late. We have taken significant action and have been at the table since May, and this is the first movement we have seen from government,” she said.

“It is unfortunate it has taken this much effort and pressure from teachers and the action they’ve had to take. But we’re happy it’s coming now and not later. We want to find solutions and make sure students are getting the support they need.”

Cockrill said the government’s team is ready and willing to negotiate.

“We’re going to bring our best to the table on Monday and Tuesday and continue to hope we get a negotiated deal,” he said.