Saskatchewan government rejects offer to go into binding arbitration with teachers

REGINA — Contract negotiations between Saskatchewan teachers and the province have hit another snag, along with a renewed round of finger-pointing.

The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation says it would have stopped all future job action if the province accepted binding arbitration, but the governing Saskatchewan Party government says it won’t do that.

Teachers Federation president Samantha Becotte says that means Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill is responsible for future cancellations of school sporting events and field trips. 

Cockrill says the union is still on the hook for that.

Cockrill says the province does not want to go into binding arbitration because issues of classroom size and additional student supports should not be in the collective agreement. 

The teachers want those kinds of issues addressed in a new contract. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 14, 2024.

The Canadian Press