Amid ongoing contract squabble, Sask. teachers plan daily job action this week

A rotating strike and withdrawal of noon-hour supervision and extracurricular activities will be held across Saskatchewan throughout the week.

Published Feb 24, 2024 • Last updated 21 hours ago • 3 minute read

A rotating strike, and withdrawal of noon-hour supervision and extracurricular activities are one-day job actions being implemented by the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation on Feb. 27. Photo by diane39 /Getty Images/iStockphoto

As contract negotiations with the province continue to go nowhere, the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation is escalating its job actions with a combination of rotating strikes, withdrawal of noon-hour supervision and withdrawal of extracurriculars all planned for the first three days of this school week.

The STF on Saturday and Sunday gave notice for actions now scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. On Friday, the STF announced plans for job action on Monday.

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“We never want to be in a situation where opportunities for students are impacted; however, this government has left us no other options,” STF president Samantha Becotte said Friday in a statement.

“Government needs to recognize the magnitude of the situation they have caused and continue to contribute to, get serious, and return to the table ready to bargain on the real issues impacting Saskatchewan students.”

On both Saturday and Sunday, the STF said that 48 hours’ notice is legally required for job action, but they are providing extra time to allow families to make necessary arrangements.

Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation president Samantha Becotte. Photo by Michelle Berg /Saskatoon StarPhoenix

What actions are planned?

A one-day, provincewide withdrawal from extracurricular activities and rotating noon-hour supervision withdrawals will take place on Monday.

On Tuesday, a rotating strike, and withdrawal of noon-hour supervision and extracurricular activities, will take place.

This involves teachers from all schools in the Chinook School Division, Ile à la Crosse School Division, Lloydminster Public School Division, Lloydminster Catholic School Division, Northwest School Division and Prairie Valley School Division. It also involves teachers from Association des enseignantes et enseignants fransaskois — École Boréale in Ponteix and Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre’s North West and South West campuses.

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The withdrawal of noon-hour supervision means STF members won’t be available to supervise students eating lunch or participating in activities over the lunch hour. All schools in Holy Trinity Catholic School Division, Horizon School Division, North East School Division, Regina Catholic Schools and South East Cornerstone School Division will be affected.

Sports, intramurals, drama, rehearsals, science clubs, music, band, student leadership activities, book fairs, graduation celebration planning and other clubs and activities will be cancelled Tuesday. All schools in Creighton School Division, Horizon School Division, Prairie South School Division, Regina Catholic Schools and Regina Public Schools will be affected by the withdrawal of extracurricular activities.

On Wednesday, noon hour supervision and extracurricular activities are being called off in select areas.

Withdrawal of noon-hour supervision will affect schools in Christ the Teacher Catholic School Division, Ile à la Crosse School Division, Prairie Valley School Division, Regina Public Schools, and Sun West School Division

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Withdrawal of extracurricular activities on Wednesday will affect schools in Ile à la Crosse School Division, Prairie Valley School Division, Good Spirit School Division, all Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre campuses, and Living Sky School Division and Light of Christ Catholic School Division and Sakewew High School.

Becotte plans to provide more information about the status of contract negotiations and teacher job action in a Zoom meeting for parents and caregivers at 7 p.m. on Monday. Registration, which is limited to 5,000 people, is available on the STF website.

Bargaining for a new contract began last spring and has been plagued by impasse after impasse as both the province and STF have dug in their heels. Following a sanctions vote that found 95 per cent of voters in favour took place in October, a variety of job action and sanctions have taken place including a pair of one-day, provincewide strikes, rotating strikes, and a withdrawal of noon hour supervision.

While the STF’s fight centres on getting language around classroom composition and complexity baked into the contract, the province has maintained those are issues to be addressed outside of negotiations, offering non-legally binding memorandums of understanding (MOU) and announcing new funding and pilot projects.

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