Negotiations between Sask. teachers and province to resume next week

Saskatchewan teachers and the province are set to resume negotiations on Wednesday.

On Friday afternoon, the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee officially accepted the Teachers’ Bargaining Committee's (TBC) invitation to resume talks, according to a news release from the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF).

This comes after the province's newest offer was rejected on Thursday. Over two days, 88 per cent of STF members voted, with 55 per cent of those voting no to the latest offer. 

While Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill said he feels as though binding arbitration would be the best course of action moving forward, STF president Samantha Becotte said there are still more options to discuss at the bargaining table. 

The offer teachers rejected included an accountability framework that would have been signed by the STF, government and Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA) and attached to the agreement as a Memorandum of Understanding.

Also included was an additional $18 million per year to tackle classroom size and complexity, which would have been added to a multi-year-funding agreement that was signed by the SSBA and province earlier in 2024.

There was also the creation of a minister’s task force on classroom complexity that would have been made up of teachers, students and parents, as well as a policy table on violence free classrooms that was to be chaired by the Ministry of Education and include representatives from the STF and SSBA.

Salary increases proposed were three per cent in 2023, three per cent in 2024 and two per cent in 2025.

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In March, The STF invited the province to take part in binding arbitration on the issue of class size and complexity. However, Cockrill said at the time that it would not be appropriate since class size and complexity were not issues related to the collectively bargained agreement.

If binding arbitration becomes a reality, Cockrill said on Friday morning that the two sides would each appoint a member to an arbitration board. 

Teachers rejected an initial offer from the province on May 9, with 90 per cent voting against, and more than 92 per cent of members voting.

Saskatchewan teachers have been without a contract since August of 2023 and initial bargaining began in May of 2023. 

There will not be any job action by teachers while negotiations take place, but 48 hours’ notice will be given if there is an impasse in the talks.

-More details to come.

-With files from Drew Postey and David Prisciak