The lack of a contract with the province’s teachers is starting to come to a boil.
The Saskatchewan Teachers Federation has announced there will be a one day walkout province wide on Tuesday, January 16th. Teachers are legally obligated to give 48 hours notice, but the Saskatchewan Teacher’s Federation wanted to give parents as much time as possible to prepare for the one day walkout.
“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,” says Saskatchewan Teachers’ 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.”
The teachers accuse of the government of refusing to negotiate their biggest issue, class size and complexity.
A recent report from a conciliator had suggested the government could bargain on that topic if it wished, but there is no law requiring them to do so. The government’s positions is that class size and complexity is something that needs to be addressed at the “school division level”.
The STF says it will take additional job action after the 16th if this one day walkout doesn’t bring the government back to the bargaining table.