Teachers in Saskatchewan are voting Tuesday and Wednesday on whether they are in solidarity with their negotiating team as they seek a new agreement with the provincial government.
“I don’t think teachers want to go on strike, but we also know that we can’t continue down the course that we are on,” says Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation president Samantha Becotte.
The discussions have been ongoing since spring, but Becotte says they have made little progress on the 10 matters that they have proposed, with headline issues being classroom size and education supports among others. She says the union has presented the government with ways to meet in the middle, but their employer is not budging.
“Hopefully the vote in itself can apply pressure on the government to change their position – to start to come to the table and have those good faith conversations where there is movement on both sides. We are not stuck in our position, and we have provided them with many different options and ways that we could potentially meet in the middle. And we are just met with disrespect.”
The union boss contends that the government is not engaging in the process in good faith and Saskatchewan children “have a right to a high-quality education and the government needs to fund it.”
“We need to see a commitment from this government to change their course to start finding solutions that will help address some of the big issues that they continue to refuse to talk about. So, specifically around class size and complexity, but also, violence in the classroom, action about Truth and Reconciliation,” says Becotte.
Other issues include teachers’ salaries and benefits, shortage of substitute teachers and other educational supports in both rural and urban areas.
The negotiation process has stalled, and no new meetings are scheduled. The union has started a conciliation process in the impasse and Becotte says their goal remains to get a negotiated settlement at the bargaining table.
In an email to MyLloydminsterNow, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education has said that the government has proposed seven per cent over three years for teachers’ salaries and that a conciliation board will be set up in the coming weeks to assist with reaching a settlement.
