A Message to Saskatchewan Parents and Students

Conciliation meetings between teachers and the government have concluded. Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation President Samantha Becotte has issued the following statement:

“Talks aimed at reaching a new provincewide collective agreement for Saskatchewan teachers have now concluded.

Regrettably, the Government of Saskatchewan has failed to move off its original position since negotiations began in May and will not negotiate on issues that are crucial to teachers, students and parents.

These issues include class size, classroom complexity, support for students and violence in the classroom.

The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation would like to express their thanks to the Conciliation Board and the members of the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee. The government’s intransigence has put them in an impossible position.

When teachers are not allowed to freely discuss the issues facing the education sector, that means collective bargaining is not working.

The Government of Saskatchewan has now set a course that makes job action by teachers – and the disruption that comes with it – virtually inevitable.

As we await the Conciliation Board’s report, the Federation will be finalizing the strategy for implementing sanctions.

We ask that everyone in our province contact their elected representatives, as well as Minister of Education Jeremy Cockrill and Premier Scott Moe, and urge their government to begin bargaining in good faith with respect to class size, classroom complexity, support for students and violence in the classroom.”