Saskatchewan teachers’ job action continues across province today

Teachers across the province are pulling out of extracurricular activities on Monday, and some schools divisions will have additional noon-hour supervision sanctions.

On Friday, the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) released notice of their latest round of job action. It stated teachers are withdrawing from extracurricular activities from March 25-28.

On Monday, additional job action will impact noon-hour supervision in these school divisions:

• All schools in Holy Family Catholic School Division.
• All schools in Holy Trinity Catholic School Division.
• All schools in North East School Division.
• All schools in Prairie Spirit School Division.
• All schools in Saskatchewan Rivers and Prince Albert Catholic school divisions.
• All schools in Living Sky and Light of Christ Catholic school divisions and Sakewew High School (North Battleford).

The sanctions come as a result of the ongoing contract dispute between the provincial government and the union, largely over the issue or class size and complexity.

The government has remained resolute in class size and complexity being the responsibility of local school boards, and the STF has said it will return to the table if the government agrees to negotiate on these issues or go to binding arbitration on them.

On Friday, Minister of Education Jeremy Cockrill indicated in an email statement that work is being done to “find a pathway forward” with the STF.

“I will have more to say next week on how we are working to ensure that students get the opportunities they so deserve, including graduation,” said Cockrill in the email.

Cockrill also stated previously that the government has moved on many of the items the STF has asked for, and are “prepared to create an accountability framework connected to the historic multi-year funding agreement.”

The STF has previously said the funding announced is not guaranteed and the government could change its mind about it in the future.

Samantha Becotte, president of the federation, said she learned about the province’s potential framework proposal while speaking with media on Thursday.

The STF said in their release that about 400,000 emails and phone calls have been sent to MLAs and school board trustees in support of the teachers’ push to bargain on class size and complexity.