Sask. teachers announce full-day, rotating strikes
Teachers across Saskatchewan will walk off the job in a series of rotating one-day strikes.
"This does not have to be this way. They don't want to be taking these actions. (But) teachers cannot continue working without knowing that they will have adequate supports to meet their student's learning needs," said Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) president Samantha Becotte while announcing the first batch of walk-offs.
On Thursday, teachers in cities including Moose Jaw, Prince Albert and North Battleford, and many towns throughout the province will hit the picket line.
According to the STF, the following divisions will be affected by the Feb. 1 strike:
- Holy Trinity Catholic School Division schools
- All Horizon School Division schools
- All Prairie South School Division schools
- All Prince Albert Catholic School Division schools
- All Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division schools
- All Light of Christ Catholic School Division schools
- All Living Sky School Division schools
- Sakewew High School (North Battleford)
The STF said the strike will include Distance Learning Centre teachers and French-language schools in the affected areas.
Becotte would not say when another rotating strike might occur.
"Any further action requires the 48-hour notice that we are legislated to provide. So if there is another announcement you'll be provided with that notice time and in terms of these, we have a long-term plan and a short-term plan. Our goal is to get a negotiated agreement. Like I said, we do not want to be taking these actions," Becotte said.
More than 13,000 teachers walked off the job province-wide for one-day strikes on Jan. 16 and Jan. 22.
The STF has threatened to engage in job action until the Saskatchewan government agrees to discuss classroom sizes and supports for students with complex needs at the bargaining table.
However, the provincial government has remained steadfast in its belief that those decisions are best left to local school divisions.
The two sides began talks in May before the STF declared a bargaining impasse in October.
Shortly after the impasse was declared, 90 per cent of the STF's members voted 95 per cent in favour of potential job action, up to an including full withdrawal of services
The two sides met with a third-party conciliator in December. While the conciliation panel said class size and complexity could potentially be bargainable items under Saskatchewan legislation it did not offer a recommendation one way or the other,
Throughout the bargaining process, the province has touted its offer of a seven per cent salary increase for teachers over three years, even going as far to publicize it on billboards and through online ads.
In a statement issued Monday afternoon, the Saskatchewan government again pointed to its proposed salary offer as well as a pair of short-term pilot projects unveiled just before the STF's first strike announcement.
One program will create eight specialized "support" classrooms and the other will help fund teacher-suggested ideas to improve education.
"Outside of the collective bargaining process, the Government of Saskatchewan have said we are actively working to address concerns around class size and complexity and we are doing exactly what we said we would with a $53.1 million investment towards enrolment and complexity, a teacher-led innovation and support fund, and specialized support classroom pilot projects.," the statement said.
Becotte said any steps taken by the government won't be sufficient unless they are backed up by contractual language.
"We don't understand why the government is so hesitant to make long-term commitments. We have seen where government has a pre-election budget and it looks really good and then the next year everything is cut back or those investments are gone and even clawed back from school divisions," Becotte said.
"We need to ensure that regardless of who the governing party is, they are committed to investing in our kids."
In its statement, the government also reiterated its opinion that based on projections, the STF's opening salary request of a 2 per cent annual raise over four years combined with the yearly increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) would amount to a 23 per cent pay hike.
"Teachers have been impacted for a number of years by their salaries not keeping pace with inflation and this was a message that we heard across the province," Becotte said.
"But these are opening proposals. We are ready to negotiate on any of these items. But we need government willing to negotiate on them too. And again, I think I've said it before, but for those that aren't aware: MLAs do have a tie to CPI on their salary increases. So if it makes sense for MLAs to have a tie to CPI? There are other teacher organizations across Canada that have ties to CPI."
Teachers have been without a contract since the end of August.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada's most wanted fugitive arrested in P.E.I. in connection with Toronto homicide
A suspect in a fatal shooting in Toronto’s east end last summer has been arrested in Charlottetown, just one week after he topped a list of Canada’s most wanted fugitives.
Concerns about plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall plexiglass barriers.
Wisconsin school district says active shooter 'neutralized' outside middle school
A Wisconsin school district said an active shooter was 'neutralized' outside a middle school in Mount Horeb on Wednesday, and no one inside the building was injured.
Poilievre unrepentant over calling Trudeau 'wacko' as his MPs say Speaker should resign
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he does not regret calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'wacko,' and now his MPs are renewing calls for the House of Commons Speaker to resign, this time over ordering the Official Opposition leader to leave the chamber.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh confirms his party will support the Liberals' federal budget
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his party will support the federal budget, ending any speculation that the party could pull out of its deal with the minority Liberal government.
Toddler of Phoenix first responder dies after bounce house goes airborne
A two-year-old child died after a strong gust of wind sent the bounce house he was in airborne and into a neighbouring lot in central Arizona, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office said.
Dental care program accepting claims for 1 million seniors
Citizens' Services Minister Terry Beech says 1,200 seniors have already visited a dentist and had their claims processed by the federal government's new dental care plan.
Lawyers for man accused of killing 4 women to argue he's not criminally responsible
Lawyers for a Winnipeg man accused of killing four women say they plan to argue that he is not criminally responsible because he is mentally ill.
Harvey Weinstein appears in court after his New York rape conviction was overturned
Harvey Weinstein was back in a New York courtroom Wednesday for his first appearance since an appeals court last week overturned his 2020 rape conviction and ordered a new trial.