Sask. teachers to stage one-day strike on Jan. 16 as bargaining with province at standstill
Author of the article: Alec Salloum • Regina Leader-Post
Published Jan 11, 2024 •
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Published Jan 11, 2024 •
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Despite fast approaching job action, the president of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) emphasized that a one-day strike is a last resort.
“We do not want to take this action,” said Becotte, STF president, on a Thursday morning virtual news conference.
“We’ve been trying to avoid this for the last seven months.”
With five days notice the STF announced a provincewide, one-day strike to be held on Jan. 16 by its more than 13,500 members as contract negotiations remain at a standstill.
“Unfortunately, government continues to refuse to make any agreements directly with teachers that provides improvements to schools and classrooms,” said Becotte.
She hopes the one-day strike will be enough to get the province back to the table.
STF says job action 'virtually inevitable' after failed talks with province
Saskatchewan stories of the year: Teachers’ union and province duke it out over new contract
Conciliation report urges province, STF to 'keep talking' about classroom complexity
Explainer: A brief history of teachers' strikes in Saskatchewan
Minister of Education Jeremy Cockrill expressed “disappointment” in the move to job action, in a written statement provided Thursday.
He said the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee (GTBC) is ready to sit down and bargain at any time, but has maintained matters of classroom complexity will not be dealt with at the bargaining table.
“Outside of that process, we have demonstrated our commitment to addressing classroom complexity with record funding, and two brand new pilot projects announced just this week,” the statement said.
A major sticking point between the STF and the GTBC is classroom size and complexity.
Both sides, while admitting it is an issue, differ on where the matter should be resolved; the union says the bargaining table, while the government says school divisions. A report from a conciliation board released earlier this week said it is “not prepared to make a recommendation in that regard. It is far too complicated a matter, involving legal arguments of statutory interpretation and Charter principles.”
Ahead of the one-day strike, Becotte emphasized that while the union only needs 48-hours to enter a strike position, the advanced warning is for the benefit of children and parents who will need to arrange childcare. Becotte said the five-day warning is a demonstration of the union “bargaining in good faith.”
Despite several months and sit downs Becotte said there has not been any movement from the GTBC, which has offered a seven per cent raise over three years. She’s hoping that this action will lead to the government coming back to the table with a new mandate.
The STF said the job action comes after several actions like rallies, letter writing campaigns and more, but there are few other mechanisms for the union. For example, the ability to opt for unilateral binding arbitration is not possible for the STF. This change came with Bill 63, which passed in 2017 and requires both parties, instead of one, to agree to binding arbitration.
Both the government and the union have said they are willing to get back to the table. Becotte said they’d be game to sit down “at any time if government is willing to discuss longer term commitments to address class complexity.”
The matter of class complexity remains the keystone to bargaining talks, Becotte said, as it affects students first and foremost.
“These working conditions are our students’ learning conditions. Children and their families deserve to know that they will have the support that is needed for them to thrive during their years in public education,” said Becotte.
What the job action looks like on Jan. 16 remains to be seen. The STF said 90 per cent of teachers voted, 95 per cent of which voted in favour of taking job action, but that won’t necessarily mean provincewide pickets on Tuesday.
More job action, a longer strike, work to rule and other options remain, but while speaking about those possibilities Becotte remained steadfast that the goal at the end of the day is a deal.
“Teachers have done everything we can to find a resolution to this process.”
alsalloum@postmedia.com
Despite fast approaching job action, the president of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) emphasized that a one-day strike is a last resort.
“We do not want to take this action,” said Becotte, STF president, on a Thursday morning virtual news conference.
“We’ve been trying to avoid this for the last seven months.”
With five days notice the STF announced a provincewide, one-day strike to be held on Jan. 16 by its more than 13,500 members as contract negotiations remain at a standstill.
“Unfortunately, government continues to refuse to make any agreements directly with teachers that provides improvements to schools and classrooms,” said Becotte.
She hopes the one-day strike will be enough to get the province back to the table.
STF says job action 'virtually inevitable' after failed talks with province
Saskatchewan stories of the year: Teachers’ union and province duke it out over new contract
Conciliation report urges province, STF to 'keep talking' about classroom complexity
Explainer: A brief history of teachers' strikes in Saskatchewan
Minister of Education Jeremy Cockrill expressed “disappointment” in the move to job action, in a written statement provided Thursday.
He said the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee (GTBC) is ready to sit down and bargain at any time, but has maintained matters of classroom complexity will not be dealt with at the bargaining table.
“Outside of that process, we have demonstrated our commitment to addressing classroom complexity with record funding, and two brand new pilot projects announced just this week,” the statement said.
A major sticking point between the STF and the GTBC is classroom size and complexity.
Both sides, while admitting it is an issue, differ on where the matter should be resolved; the union says the bargaining table, while the government says school divisions. A report from a conciliation board released earlier this week said it is “not prepared to make a recommendation in that regard. It is far too complicated a matter, involving legal arguments of statutory interpretation and Charter principles.”
Ahead of the one-day strike, Becotte emphasized that while the union only needs 48-hours to enter a strike position, the advanced warning is for the benefit of children and parents who will need to arrange childcare. Becotte said the five-day warning is a demonstration of the union “bargaining in good faith.”
Despite several months and sit downs Becotte said there has not been any movement from the GTBC, which has offered a seven per cent raise over three years. She’s hoping that this action will lead to the government coming back to the table with a new mandate.
The STF said the job action comes after several actions like rallies, letter writing campaigns and more, but there are few other mechanisms for the union. For example, the ability to opt for unilateral binding arbitration is not possible for the STF. This change came with Bill 63, which passed in 2017 and requires both parties, instead of one, to agree to binding arbitration.
Both the government and the union have said they are willing to get back to the table. Becotte said they’d be game to sit down “at any time if government is willing to discuss longer term commitments to address class complexity.”
The matter of class complexity remains the keystone to bargaining talks, Becotte said, as it affects students first and foremost.
“These working conditions are our students’ learning conditions. Children and their families deserve to know that they will have the support that is needed for them to thrive during their years in public education,” said Becotte.
What the job action looks like on Jan. 16 remains to be seen. The STF said 90 per cent of teachers voted, 95 per cent of which voted in favour of taking job action, but that won’t necessarily mean provincewide pickets on Tuesday.
More job action, a longer strike, work to rule and other options remain, but while speaking about those possibilities Becotte remained steadfast that the goal at the end of the day is a deal.
“Teachers have done everything we can to find a resolution to this process.”
alsalloum@postmedia.com
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