Inside Saskatchewan classroom. (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)

By paNOW Staff

TEACHERS STRIKE!

Sask. Teachers Federation announces one-day strike

Jan 11, 2024 | 10:58 AM

Teachers across Saskatchewan will walk off the job for one day next week, in hopes of bringing the government to the bargaining table.

The Saskatchewan Teachers Federation (STF) announced Thursday morning that a one-day strike will take place province-wide on Jan. 16. While the legal requirement for a notice of job action is 48 hours, the STF said they were giving five-day notice to give families extra time to prepare.

In a letter to parents sent after the STF announcement, the Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division (SRPSD) said school will be cancelled on that day and encouraged parents to make sure childcare is in place.

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In a release sent by the STF, the union claimed the Government still refuses to negotiate on class size and complexity, even after the Conciliation Board showed support for teachers’ position that class size and complexity can be addressed through bargaining.

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They said if the government refuses to address these concerns through negotiations additional job action will follow the Jan. 16 strike.

“The last thing any teacher wants is for negotiations to impact the school year, so we are exhausting every possible option to get government back to the table,” said Federation President Samantha Becotte.

“At every turn, teachers have said that committees are getting us nowhere on these urgent issues, and a new deal must include items to address class size and complexity. Government remains intransigent, even after conciliation. This is not bargaining; they are making decisions based on politics and student learning is suffering for it.”

Previously, Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill has said the government is willing and open to returning to the bargaining table and believes the government is offering the STF a fair deal.

While the union has addressed concerns over classroom sizes and composition during negotiations, Cockrill has said it’s not something the government will address during negotiations with teachers.

“We’ve communicated to the STF that that specific topic, we believe, is best managed by local school divisions. That’s not something that we’re looking for in a bargaining agreement,” he said.

The STF will be holding a virtual Parent and Caregiver Information Night on Ja. 14 at 7 p.m. to provide details on the status of negotiations, the potential for job action, and the state of public education in Saskatchewan.

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panews@pattisonmedia.com