The ink is drying on the agreement signed between Saskatchewan teachers and the province.
The new collective agreement comes after a year in which school was disrupted and teachers marched in frigid temperatures not just for salaries but for classroom complexity issues.
The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation sees the positives following the two-year negotiating impasse.
“Teachers made it clear throughout a hard-fought round of bargaining that class complexity must be part the next provincial collective agreement. That is now a reality thanks to the tenacity of our members and the widespread public support for public education and the work of teachers. While it won’t solve all the issues related to class complexity, we believe this Agreement is a positive first step toward ensuring students and teachers have the support they need,” stated STF President Samantha Becotte.
The agreement is retroactive, covering September 1, 2023, to August 31, 2026.
Education Minister Everett Hindley said, “Our government recognizes the important role of teachers and we look forward to working on common goals in support of Saskatchewan’s education system.”
The new contract has a class complexity fund of $20 million per year, and the scope to hire more teachers to help with class complexity matters. The STF estimates that over 500 new teaching positions will be created through the new measure.
Teachers will see a pay increase of nine percent over three years.
That’s four percent retroactive to September 1, 2023, three percent retroactive to September 1, 2024, and two percent as of September 1, 2025.
