Sask. teachers will begin 'work to rule' job action Monday

Saskatchewan teachers will begin “work to rule” job action on Monday, meaning all voluntary services will be indefinitely paused and staff will begin and end their days 15 minutes before and after school.

In a news conference on Friday, Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) president Samantha Becotte said the job action will remain in place until the province adequately addresses classroom size and complexity issues.

The two sides have opposite beliefs on how those issues should be addressed, the province does not want to discuss them at the bargaining table and instead is providing additional funding to school boards aimed at classroom size and complexity. The STF would like to discuss the two issues as part of negotiations and see said school board funding included in a contract offer.  

“Work to rule is a job action and a sanction that restricts the hours that teachers provide service to 15 minutes before the school day begins and 15 minutes after the school day ends and also removes all voluntary services provided from teachers, including noon hour supervision,” Becotte said.

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“This is a significant escalation to what we’ve had in the past,” she said.

Becotte also encouraged parents and care givers to reach out to their child’s school division for more complete details on how this will affect them.

“It is very disappointing that once again the teachers’ union leadership are moving the goal posts and prioritizing job action that will directly impact students and families instead of returning to the bargaining table to reach a fair deal,” Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill said in an emailed statement.

He said the government and school divisions have found solutions to “assure increased investments into classrooms” and have a framework that would allow teachers to provide feedback on how those investments are spent.

“The GTBC remains at the table, ready to reach a deal on behalf of students, teachers and families,” the statement read.

Saskatchewan teachers have been without a contract since August of 2023.

The STF and province began bargaining in May of 2023.

Impasses were declared by the STF in October and February.

Teachers have participated in job action throughout much of the 2023-24 school year.

-- With files from Drew Postey and David Prisciak.