Sask. teachers' union announce new round of job action following strike

“We are hopeful that we won’t have to make an announcement of what the action is. We’re hopeful government gets back to us and says they’re ready to have a conversation.”

Published Jan 17, 2024 • Last updated 16 minutes ago • 3 minute read

Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation members and supporters march across the Albert Memorial Bridge during a provincial teachers strike on Tuesday, January 16, 2024 in Regina. Photo by KAYLE NEIS /Regina Leader-Post

The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) is readying for another round of job action ahead of finals week across the province.

The government has not budged on its position that classroom complexity and composition should be discussed and addressed away from the bargaining table, STF president Samantha Becotte said following a one-day strike held provincewide on Tuesday.

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Sask. teachers on strike make passionate pleas for contract changes

What is classroom complexity and why does it matter to the STF?

Some 13,500 STF members feel otherwise, as that matter alone appears to be the sticking point between the union and the Government Trustee Bargaining Committee (GTBC).

Becotte said the STF won’t always provide five days notice of job action and would not say specifically what the STF has planned for that Jan. 22, but hopes it won’t come to that.

“We are hopeful that we won’t have to make an announcement of what the action is. We’re hopeful government gets back to us and says they’re ready to have a conversation,” said Becotte during a virtual news conference Wednesday.

“The ball is in their court.”

As for future action Becotte expressed thanks to people across Saskatchewan for understanding and supporting teachers on Tuesday.

“We’re also hopeful that through that public support, government starts to listen,” she said.

The government has maintained its position through the GTBC that classroom complexity and composition are not matters for the bargaining table and will instead be handled through school divisions around Saskatchewan.

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Speaking Tuesday during the strike Minister of Education Jeremy Cockrill said “the issue of classroom complexity, that’s a line in the sand for government that we’re not going to be moving on.”

Cockrill has said on number of occasions that issues of complexity and composition in the classroom will be addressed away from the bargaining table, saying the 27 school division in Saskatchewan will handle that matter.

As for the pilot programs recently announced to address the matter Becotte said it isn’t enough in the face of the current need present in Saskatchewan.

“It is critical that we ensure that they are going to continue not just for a year, not just an 18 month pilot but that they continue in a long term so that kids can be successful in their public school experience,” she said.

“We’re trying to ensure that there are commitments for our kids in the long term.”

As for the charge that including this in contract talks would take away responsibilities from school board, Beocotte disagrees.

“An article on class complexity does not take away school board’s ability or their authority in any way to make the decisions at that local level,” she said, adding the contract language offers mechanisms for teachers to be involved with such decisions made in conjunction with school divisions.

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But, school divisions get a budget from the government and have no ability to set tax rates as was previously common practice more than a decade ago.

Cockrill said “there were some challenges around that in terms of fairness across the province. Saskatoon and Regina have have larger tax bases than a school division, say like Chinook.” The minister went on to say “government has fully funded education.”

Becotte and the STF have said in a past release, citing the Ministry of Education, the Fraser Institute and Statistics Canada, that in 2012-13, the province “had the highest per-student total public education spending in the country. Now, Saskatchewan students are funded at some of the lowest levels in Canada with per-student funding at eighth place.”

The province did not respond to requests for an interview on Wednesday by press deadline.

alsalloum@postmedia.com

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