Sask. teachers’ union declares impasse in negotiations

One day after calling a lack of progress at the bargaining table “frustrating,” the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) has declared an impasse in contract negotiations.

In a post on its website Thursday, the federation said its bargaining committee had asked the Educational Relations Board to appoint a conciliation board to help the parties reach an agreement.

The teachers’ concerns at the bargaining table centre on salary as well as class size and composition. The union said another issue of concern — the contracts of employment for substitute teachers — already had been deemed non-negotiable by the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee (GTBC).

“Teachers have told us addressing the significant and complex challenges in classrooms is as important as salary,” federation president Patrick Maze said in the post.

“Not only is the recent class size and composition committee announced by the Minister a deliberate attempt to undermine the collective bargaining process, the committee as proposed falls short in terms of structure, authority and accountability.”

The STF already announced it would not be participating in the committee.

In Thursday’s post, the federation said its contract demands include salary increases of two per cent in the first year, three per cent in the second year and three per cent in the third year.

The government’s proposal includes pay increases of zero per cent in Year 2 and two per cent in each of the second and third years. The first year of the deal would include a $1,500 one-time payment per teacher, using repurposed extended health plan contributions.

According to the STF, the government’s bargaining committee also has asked for a one-year hiatus from contributing to the teachers’ health plan fund.

Province not budging

Saskatchewan’s education minister said it’s disappointing the STF feels it needs to go to conciliation, but the province will go through and present its case.

However, Gord Wyant said he’s not going to change his mind and allow class size and composition to be a part of the collective agreement; he said it has no place there.

Wyant repeated his assertions that, in other jurisdictions the ministry has talked to, it’s a mess when class size is part of the agreement.

“We’re not prepared to introduce that kind of chaos into our collective agreement or into our education system in Saskatchewan so my position continues to be firm,” said Wyant.

Wyant said he wants to get a collective agreement done first, then deal with class size.

“I’m not prepared to have a conversation about it at the bargaining table, but I am prepared to have a conversation because it’s a real issue,” explained Wyant.

He said that’s why the ministry has created its committee to look into class sizes, but he regrets the STF won’t be a part of it.

“I’m a bit disappointed with that because I think the teachers’ voice is very important. But that said, we’re prepared to go ahead without them,” said Wyant.

Wyant believes the offer put to the teachers is a fair one, and if the union would let teachers vote on it, then the majority would support it.

As for the possibility of a teachers’ strike, the minister said he hopes it doesn’t come to that because he’s not going to vary his opinion on class size. But it’s up to the union.

The NDP is firmly on the side of the union in this case, saying the province’s refusal to allow class size to come up at the bargaining table is a problem.

Carla Beck, the NDP’s education critic, said the teachers’ union taking this step is not surprising given what the NDP has been hearing from teachers and seeing from the provincial government.

“We see a tone of disrespect, of wedging, rather than actually sitting down and looking for common ground and finding a solution, which I think needs to happen and it needs to happen in a hurry,” said Beck.

Beck said there are concerns the government isn’t bargaining in good faith, as it hasn’t moved from its original offer.

She said there is a need for both sides to get to the table and find common ground, but the government doesn’t seem willing to do that.

“Instead we’re seeing grandstanding, we’re seeing divisive media releases coming out, and really the overarching feeling that I’m hearing from teachers is that of disrespect and of the government simply not understanding what is going on in the classrooms,” said Beck.

Beck said she hopes we don’t see a strike, noting that classrooms are under enough pressure right now.

— With files from 980 CJME’s Lisa Schick