STF president Patrick Maze is hoping to get a strong mandate from his membership. (Michael Joel-Hansen/paNOW Staff)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Labour relations and education

Province’s teachers vote on next steps in impasse with government

Feb 10, 2020 | 5:00 PM

Saskatchewan’s teachers are voting today and tomorrow on next steps regarding their dispute with the province over class size,composition and working conditions.

The Saskatchewan Teachers Federation (STF) is asking membership to vote on sanctions. If they vote in favour, the STF’s executive will decide on whether their members should take action. These could include withdrawing their services for extracurricular activities at the lower end of the scale, or a walk-out at the opposite end of the spectrum.

STF President Patrick Mays said they are hoping to get a strong mandate of support from the membership.

“That shows confidence in their bargaining team and confidence that we can make a difference in their situation,” he told paNOW.

Maze added a high percentage vote may help bring the government back to the table. The federation president explained if teachers vote in favour of sanctions it could open the door to an array of actions.

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“It can range from doing nothing to a full-scale walkout,” he said.

Maze said another possibility could be rotating strikes, which could see teachers in certain communities taking job action. In 2011 teachers across Saskatchewan were off the job for three days after voting for sanctions. Extracurricular activities were also restricted before the issues were resolved.

“Right now we’re looking at fixing classroom conditions and wanting our students to be set up for success,” he said.

Local teachers frustrated

Prince Albert and Area Teachers Association (PAATA) President Ted Zurakowski said the issues of class size and composition have there for a number of years. He added the local association has been hearing concerns and frustrations from members.

Zurakowski explained there has been a major emphasis on making classrooms as inclusive as possible. This has seen schools look to have kids, including those with learning difficulties in regular classrooms. But he said supports are not being provided to make sure those students can succeed.

“Inclusion without the resources is just abandonment,” he said.

PAATA represents over 800 teachers in schools across the city and surrounding area. Zurakowski said area teachers are also having to deal with the loss of supports like psychologists who help kids dealing with issues they may be having outside of school.

“You can’t teach a child who hasn’t had breakfast, who has witnessed violence in the home and has mental health needs,” he said.

Zurakowski said the school board has been put in a difficult position by the provincial government which has reduced their funding and forced them to make hard choices. He hopes there is support from the families of students.

“We hope that the parents and grandparents of those children will raise their voices with teachers and share their concerns as well,” he said.

While the STF would like to see this province’s teachers armed with a collective agreement that specifies class size and composition as B.C. does, the government is not in favour.

Education minister Gord Wyant has said previously that kind of approach doesn’t work in that it turns principals and school board members into enforcement-type people only interested in policing class sizes.

He said the government’s position is to let each school division in the province decide how it handles such matters, based on its unique circumstances.

The results of the teachers vote is expected to be available near the end of the month.

MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

With files from CKOM

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn