Sask. Teachers' Federation not returning to bargaining table after pre-budget announcement

The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) has said it will not return to the bargaining table until the province’s most recent funding promises are included in a new collective agreement.

In a surprise pre-budget day announcement on Wednesday, Premier Scott Moe took to X to reveal an increase to operational education funding of $180 million in the 2024-2025 budget.

Moe touted the announcement as the “largest increase in school operating funding ever” in the province’s history – a claim STF President Samantha Becotte was quick to question.

“They talk about record investment, and it is a larger number than we had last year, although the $180 million that he's referencing as an increase also includes money that has been announced,” she told reporters at the legislature on Thursday.

According to the premier, funding specifically allocated to classroom supports will rise from $300 million to $356 million in the coming budget.

“There is a 15 per cent increase in that particular space,” Moe explained at an event Thursday morning.

While Becotte said the STF appreciates the committed funding increase – the federation still remains opposed to any deal made outside its collective bargaining agreement.

“There should be no issue with putting it into a collective agreement. Where government can be held accountable. School boards can be held accountable, and students get what they need. They get what they deserve.”

Guaranteed funding continues to be the federation’s main concern – citing worries that funding will be slashed following the 2024 provincial election.

Becotte said that funding through the collective agreement will allow for transparency and sustainability for both teachers and students.

“If there is guaranteed funding, then boards could make the decisions but still be accountable to ensure that whatever decisions they're making are putting supports in schools and in classrooms with students,” she explained.

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Examples of supports that address classroom complexity could be cutting down on the amount of split grade classes, smaller class sizes in urban schools facing overcrowding, or the hiring of counsellors in communities where there are youth mental health and wellness concerns.

“There's lots of ways that this can happen but then it's a reporting that goes back to teachers or goes back to the public to know that the funds that were dedicated through the collective agreement actually went to support our classrooms and our students,” she added.

Becotte said that in the memorandum of understanding (MOU) offered by the ministry after the two sides’ last bargaining attempt did not inspire faith in the government’s promises.

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“There's a clause right within that agreement that says government can cancel it or terminate it within 12 months notice. That's not a genuine agreement,” she said.

“Our students’ needs do not come and go along with the election cycle. We need predictable and sustainable funding,” Becotte added.

Moe argued in his comments to reporters that a funding commitment in the provincial budget should be promise enough for the STF.

“It's the ultimate document for ensuring that funding is going to flow into our education sector,” he said. “The budget is the place for this to be.”

The premier went further, saying that the funding allocated for classroom supports would not change following this year’s provincial election.

“That is not going to decrease as long as we are the government. That is the budget this year. I can't tell you what's going to be in the budget next year. There's a lot of things that will happen,” Moe said.

“But if the Saskatchewan Party is the government next year, that number is not going to decrease.”

The government has remained steadfast in its commitment to only discuss salary and benefits at the bargaining table – leaving funding for classroom size and complexity matters to the local boards of Saskatchewan’s 27 school divisions.

“The sentiment has been clear from our locally elected school board members, that they do not want class size and complexity in a provincially bargained agreement. Government agrees with that,” Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill said during question period.

“That is the local voice in education.”

Both Cockrill and the premier have repeatedly claimed the STF has only engaged in 30 minutes of bargaining in the past five months.

In her comments on Thursday, Becotte refuted these claims.

“We had five full days of conciliation in December and whether the minister doesn't consider that bargaining or not is his prerogative,” she said.

“In terms of the last two days that we had in February. I know we went through in detail almost minute to minute of what that looked like. And again, I think that the minister of education is either being not provided the full picture by the representatives at the table, or not understanding the process of bargaining.”

The last time the two sides met at the bargaining table was Feb. 13.

The collective bargaining process began in May of 2023. The STF declared impasses in both October and February.

Teachers in the province have been without a contract since August.

The STF’s next strike action will affect noon hour supervision across 10 school divisions on Friday.