Sanctions lifting, bargaining to resume between Sask. teachers and government (2024)

Taya Thomas and her daughter Kaydence have been eating lunch in front of the legislative building all week.

That’s because work-to-rule job action enacted by the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) as part of an ongoing labour dispute sent the École Massey School student home for lunch, since supervision over the noon-hour was not available.

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“I figured if she was going to get sent home for lunch, we may as well come here and eat our lunch, so that’s what we’ve done,” said Thomas, who added that she has spoken with a number of MLAs over the week.

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“I hope they see that this is for the kids. I don’t think the teachers are being unreasonable either. (Kaydence) was in kindergarten last year saying ‘I have a headache; I have 31 kids in my class and it’s too loud.'”

As news broke that the STF and the government-trustee bargaining committee (GTBC) would head back to the table on Tuesday, Thomas said she hopes this will soon be resolved.

She and Kaydence weren’t alone on Friday, as more than 100 Regina and area high-school students organized a rally in front of the Legislative Building, carrying signs and speaking in support of teachers.

“It kind of makes me want to cry that they have to fight for themselves like this,” said Thomas, watching as the procession of students walked from Albert Street back to the building, chanting “we support STF.”

Teachers have been engaged in provincewide work-to-rule since Monday, which will cease as of 11:59 p.m. Friday. No new sanctions will be enacted while bargaining takes place.

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“I wanted to come out here to show my support and fight for education, because we deserve an education and teachers deserve to be heard,” said Izzy Sunshine, who’s in Grade 11 at Martin Collegiate. The student said most of her classes have more than 30 students and “a lot of them don’t get the help that they need.”

Those issues illustrate why complexity and composition are the big issues through this labour dispute.

Job action and stalled negotiations have led to tense moments. But the tone struck between the STF and the government on Friday was amicable and hopeful, with both sides thanking the other as bargaining is set to resume.

STF President Samantha Becotte said Friday morning that sufficient progress had been made around complexity, composition and funding accountability.

Becotte explained that the GTBC has received “a new mandate to properly address all of the issues important to teachers.”

“I’m pleased to say that we have been able to make sufficient progress on the language within the MOU (memorandum of understanding) and the collective agreement,” said Becotte.

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In recent weeks, Education Minister Jeremy co*ckrill has been more conciliatory when it comes to accountability for funding to address classroom issues. The government has moved on a number of its positions since bargaining first started, including a new multi-year funding agreement and a proposed MOU between the Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA), the province and the STF.

The MOU, which has not yet been signed, sets the ground for an accountability framework which could be implemented in divisions across Saskatchewan to direct how money is used for classroom supports.

“I’m very optimistic,” said co*ckrill, speaking in Saskatoon on Friday. “Everyone in this province wants to come to an agreement.”

Premier Scott Moe even took to social media to comment on the update.

“Our government has met a number of the STF requests to try and reach an agreement,” he said, adding that the inclusion of an accountability framework in the collective bargaining agreement is “a reasonable position to take, and our government is prepared to see this language included in the contract.”

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co*ckrill said language around the proposed accountability framework helped set a course back to the bargaining table

“We are not going to be including class size and complexity in the contract,” said co*ckrill. “What we are willing to include is having some wording around teacher voice, ensuring that teachers do have a voice about what happens in their local school divisions.”

As for what that progress looks like, in terms of language, Becotte played her cards close to the chest.

“I’m looking forward to the day where we have a tentative agreement,” she said, “and I’m able to share a little bit more of those details.”

alsalloum@postmedia.com

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